The Queen has stunned viewers by flexing her acting chops in a special Platinum Jubilee Paddington Bear sketch, in which she shares marmalade sandwich storage chat with the beloved Michael Bond character. Take a look below:
The clip was created to open the Platinum Party at the Palace yesterday (Saturday 4 June), with the monarch seen sitting at a table in Buckingham Palace with Paddington, voiced by Ben Whishaw, to enjoy some tea before the big bash begins.
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The bear asks his companion: “Perhaps you would like a marmalade sandwich? I always keep one for emergencies.”
He then retrieves a sarnie from inside his iconic red hat and shows it to Liz, who replies with a smile: “So do I – I keep mine in here.”
The Queen then pulls her own marmalade sandwich from her handbag, adding: “For later.”
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As the pair is told that the party is about to start, Paddington doffs his cap to the monarch and says: “Happy Jubilee, and thank you for everything.”
Many viewers were moved by the amusing and poignant short sketch, with BBC journalist Michael Cowan tweeting: “This on par if not better than the Olympic James Bond scene. The Queen having tea with Paddington - incredible that at 96 and after 70 years on the throne she still has the power to surprise.”
Someone else agreed: “The skit with the Queen and Paddington was so adorable it made me tear up. That she was game for it - And good acting too! What a lovely 70 years...?”
Another said we should ‘get her in EastEnders’, while one other wrote: “Who ever came up with the idea it was fantastic, better than James Bond Olympics and that was brilliant. The Queen's acting was brilliant, we mustn't forget Paddington was CGI (Computer-generated imagery). And whether you're royal supporters or not everyone should love it.”
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A fifth added: “This is so sweet!!! I adore Paddington! When he said ‘Thank You for everything!’ - aww! Fantastic (and surprising) opening of the Party at the Palace at Buckingham Palace!”
Some people weren’t convinced the Queen in the video was really her, however, with one tweeting: “Amazing how many people confuse a ‘deep fake’ for the real person.”
Someone else quipped back: “If you're trying to say that's not really Paddington I shall have to ask you to step outside.”
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Buckingham Palace said the Queen felt the opportunity to invite Paddington to tea was ‘too fun to miss’, saying in a statement: "Her Majesty is well known for her sense of humour, so it should be no surprise that she decided to take part in tonight's sketch.
"There was an interest in the filming and animation process and the opportunity to invite a famous bear to tea was just too much fun to miss.
"While The Queen may not be attending the concert in person, she was very keen that people understood how much it meant to her and that all those watching had a great time."
Jess Hardiman