Steiff: ‘Queen Bear’ recreates tea party with Paddington at Yorkshire hall
Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee tea party with Paddington has been recreated with a special Steiff teddy bear to mark what would have been the Queen’s 100th birthday tomorrow.
The scene resembles the time the Queen appeared in a comedy sketch with a digitally animated Paddington to mark the jubilee in 2022, in which she revealed she kept marmalade sandwiches – Paddington’s favourite treat – in her handbag.
The bears’ tea party, which took place at Newby Hall, in North Yorkshire, featured a soft toy of Paddington positioned having tea with the special edition Queen Elizabeth II Steiff teddy bear, wearing a version of one of the Queen’s most recognisable outfits – a lime green coat with matching hat, pearl necklace and handbag.
Ian Munro, Steiff’s director of international sales, said: “We’re here at the fantastic Tapestry Room at Newby Hall, celebrating the fact that 100 years ago, on the 21st of April, 1926, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, was born.
“What Her Majesty (stood) for in the last 100 years was really, as she said herself, dedication and pride, and service. I think she has a very special place in all of our hearts.
“All of us at Steiff, together with our key partner, Galerista, wanted to celebrate this event where we’re launching a superb collectible, limited edition-style teddy bear.”
Steiff, founded in the German city of Giengen in 1880, claims to have invented the first ever teddy bear, and has created an array of bears to mark occasions such as the millennium and the sinking of the Titanic. Its latest bears will be limited to just 4,996, a nod to the Queen living to 96 years old, and are priced at £289 each.
They will be individually numbered and presented in a souvenir bag, with coloured embroidery on the soles of their feet to commemorate what would have been the Queen’s 100th birthday.
Mr Munro described the time when Paddington met the Queen as “one of the most cherished moments”.
When the Queen died in 2022, mourners left Paddington cuddly toys and marmalade sandwiches outside Buckingham Palace in tribute.
Meanwhile, the King will be the Royal Patron of a new charity commemorating the Queen.
The independent Queen Elizabeth Trust will offer grants for UK communities to develop and regenerate shared spaces.
It is one of three projects honouring Elizabeth II’s legacy that are being unveiled tomorrow.
The Government is making a one-off £40 million endowment to start the projects that could include developing underused buildings, green spaces and neighbourhood hubs in UK communities.
Meanwhile, historian Anna Keay, whose most celebrated book is The Restless Republic, about Britain’s republican period, has been confirmed as Queen Elizabeth II’s official biographer.
She will be able to talk to members of the Royal family and the Queen’s friends and household when researching the book, and she will have access to her personal and official papers in the Royal Archives.