Speed Reads

the bear and the monarch

Queen Elizabeth has tea with Paddington Bear in video shown at Jubilee concert

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom shared tea with the animated Paddington Bear in a pre-recorded video shown at the Platinum Party at the Palace concert outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday. The queen did not attend the event in person.

In the video, the monarch and the bear — voiced by Ben Whishaw — laughed over their shared love of marmalade sandwiches, but Paddington turned serious when the queen was called away. "Happy Jubilee, ma'am," he said, doffing his cap, "and thank you, for everything."

The crowd outside greeted the video with cheers. The concert included performances by Queen, Rod Stewart, Duran Duran, Alicia Keyes, and Diana Ross. Elton John contributed a pre-recorded performance of "Your Song." Prince William and Prince Charles offered heartfelt tributes to the woman who they will succeed on the throne.

Actor Stephen Fry, who introduced Charles, praised the queen for having "tolerated" so many prime ministers during her 70-year reign. "For that alone," he said, "no admiration is high enough."