Queen Elizabeth II Shares A Cup Of Tea With Paddington Bear For Platinum Jubilee Party

British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee is currently in full swing, commemorating the 70th anniversary of her ascension to the throne on February 6, 1952. Buckingham Palace publicly released the celebration plans on January 10, 2022, followed by months of rigorous planning to ensure a successful event.

The event began on Thursday with the Trooping of the Colour and the Lighting of the Beacons, which included a celebratory procession with the Queen and other senior royals waving to onlookers from the Buckingham Palace balcony.

While the Queen was unable to attend the subsequent cathedral's Thanksgiving ceremony, British citizens may get a closer look at the Queen in a special short video celebrating her Platinum Jubilee, which she co-starred in with the live animated cartoon character Paddington Bear.

Read below for more details.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H3WJ2qRwiQ

The Buckingham palace kept specifics of the short film under wraps among the celebration preparations released months earlier, making its recent premiere a delightful surprise for British residents. The approximately two-minute video was produced in collaboration with BBC Studios and Heyday Films/Studiocanal, with added input from the royals.

Paddington, who is played by Ben Whishaw, was overjoyed to learn that the Queen shared his fondness for marmalade sandwiches in the video. He opens his hat to show her that he hides his favorite snack there, with the Queen retorting, "So do I," before opening her black bag and saying, "I keep mine in here."

Her Majesty's very own ready-made supply of Paddington's bread and orange preserve staple was shown as the camera panned in, referencing her earlier pronouncement of appreciation for the meal. Paddington then causes havoc by mistakenly denying the Queen another cup of tea and splashing a royal footman with the cream of a chocolate éclair.

The film, titled "Ma'amalade sandwich Your Majesty?" also saw the beloved bear congratulate the Queen on her reign. "Happy Jubilee Ma'am, And Thank You.. for everything," Paddington exclaimed, to which the monarch calmly responded, "That's extremely kind."

The Queen and Paddington then tap out to the rhythm of Queen's We Will Rock You chorus on a China teacup at the end of the short movie, as the band and Her Majesty's Royal Marines' Corps of Drums joined in unison on the main stage outside Buckingham Palace. The clamor of thousands of Platinum Jubilee concertgoers can also be heard outdoors, singing and clapping along to the resounding beat of the band.

Buckingham Palace staged a live version of the performance seen in the film, inviting top guest artists from across the world to add flavor to the Queen's celebration. Sir Elton John, Diana Ross, Queen, Adam Lambert, Hans Zimmer, George Ezra, Alicia Keys, Sam Ryder, Craig David, and Rod Stewart were among those who played at the performance.

Since its release, the video has earned praise for the monarch's performance. It's also been shared by several British news outlets and has over a million views on YouTube.

"Her Majesty is well known for her sense of humor, so it should be no surprise that she decided to take part in tonight's sketch," remarked Buckingham Palace. "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."

The Executive Producer of BBC Studios Productions for the BBC's Platinum Party at the Palace, Mark Sidaway, commented: "We were thrilled and honored when we learned Her Majesty had agreed to run with this touching yet joyful idea the team had come up with – although it was slightly nerve-wracking ensuring it all blended seamlessly with the live performance from Queen + Adam Lambert." Further remarks were also given by Rosie Alison of Heyday Film and Anna Marsh, CEO of Studiocanal.

Meanwhile, Paddington Bear will make his third appearance on the big screen in the animation franchise. Following in the footsteps of past films, Studiocanal will produce upcoming, with production set to begin later this year.

Whishaw will reprise his role as the voice of the Peruvian-born Bear, while Hugh Bonneville of "Downton Abbey" and Sally Hawkins of "The Shape of Water" are also set to return. A new inevitable villain has yet to be cast, and the showrunners haven't released any more storyline specifics concerning the film.

What is certain is that Paul King, the director of the previous two films, will not be handling this one. He did, however, present the idea for the third picture and is working on the screenplay. Rosie Alison, Jeffrey Clifford, David Heyman, Ben Irving, and Didier Lupfer will make up the production crew in King's absence.

"Paddington 3" will debut at an undisclosed date.