Paddington bears left in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II get royal tour
When Queen Elizabeth II died in September at the age of 96, thousands of mourners left tributes to the British monarch outside of Buckingham Palace in London.
Among the flowers and notes were stuffed Paddington Bears, the beloved character that became associated with the queen after they appeared together in a special video released for Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebration in June.
The late queen shared a friendly conversation with Paddington in the video, as they chatted over cups of tea about their love of marmalade sandwiches.
Following the end of the official mourning period in the U.K., Buckingham Palace announced last month that the thousands of stuffed Paddington bears left outside the palace would be donated to a children's charity.
On Friday, the royal family released a new update about the bears, sharing a charming video of them being collected, cleaned and displayed by Royal Parks staff members.
Paddingtons of all shapes and sizes, in their signature blue duffle coats and red bucket hats, were also photographed traversing the numerous rooms at the palace as well as Clarence House, the London townhouse where the queen lived from 1947-1952.
"They have been doing some light reading at Clarence House," the video noted at one point, "and exploring the Buckingham Palace State Rooms."
According to Buckingham Palace, after their royal tour, the bears will be delivered next week by Camilla, the Queen Consort, to their new homes. Camilla is expected to attend a "special teddy bears picnic" -- featuring marmalade sandwiches -- with children from Bow Nursery in London, staff from the children's charity Barnardo's, and the cast of the movie "Paddington," including stars Hugh Bonneville and Madeleine Harris.
