MARMALADE MOMENT — Queen Camilla Meets Paddington and Shares Sweet Surprise at Royal Reception

Queen Camilla has met Paddington Bear as the pair shared his delicious marmalade sandwiches when she met a series of stars at a reception for the final of the BBC 500 words competition.

More than 46,000 children entered this year, with youngsters of all abilities encouraged to write and show off their literacy skills.

Camilla presented medals to the winners, who will be announced on March 6.

Following the ceremony at Windsor Castle, the Queen met Paddington Bear who has been brought to life for his musical on the West End.

Camilla shook hands with the little bear, who was dressed in his signature blue duffle coat and red hat and thanked him for coming to the event.

The Queen said: “Hello Paddington… How very nice to meet you, thank you very much for coming.

“You’re very kind, you are going to give all your marmalade sandwiches to all these children. Perhaps I can have one too?”

Paddington gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up to Camilla’s question, and guests later were offered marmalade sandwiches.

Meeting Paddington, Camilla said: ‘Hello Paddington – how very nice to meet you, thank you very much for coming’

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The late Queen Elizabeth II famously appeared in a comedy sketch with a digitally animated Paddington Bear to mark her Platinum Jubilee.

A hilarious joke in the sketch showed the late Queen revealing she keeps her marmalade sandwiches in her handbag, to Paddington’s surprise.

Other stars at the event included Peep Show actor Paterson Joseph, TV presenters Bradley and Barney Walsh and Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker.

Mr Joseph thanked the Queen for “all you are doing for literacy”, adding: “There’s been a big drop since Covid.”

Camilla met with finalists of the competition

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Mr Walsh told Camilla her work with the competition is “a wonderful thing”, with his son Barney chipping in: “The creativity of the children is unbelievable”.

Camilla also met the competition judges, including Sir Lenny Henry, who had been talking with the children who made the final.

He said: “They’ve all said ‘I’m writing a sequel, I’ve got a follow-up, it’s going to be amazing’.

“Some of them have agents, there’s a limo outside for one of them already, I mean they’re really ahead of the game these kids, they’re amazing.”

Camilla met with several stars, including Bradley Walsh

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Sir Lenny continued: “I was so humbled when I sat down with all the judges, it’s an amazing experience, and it inspires me to put my back into my writing. These kids have got me beat.”

Asked about concerns over the lack of children reading for pleasure, Sir Lenny said: “It doesn’t feel like that to me, it feels like these kids are smart and they’ve got big ideas and they want to write.”

Author Malorie Blackman said she hopes the competition will encourage children to read more.

Of the Queen, she said: “Her Majesty is such a champion of literacy and particularly children’s literacy, and I think she realises how important it is to be read to and have stories, to share stories as a way of connecting and communicating with other people.

“She has always been a champion of that, and she does an awful lot behind the scenes that people might not see, so it is a cause very dear to her heart.”