More than a thousand teddies left at royal residences by members of the public will go to a children’s charity.
Image source, Getty ImagesMore than a thousand Paddington bears and other teddies left by the public in memory of the late Queen are to be sent to charity, Buckingham Palace says.
The toys were left outside the palace and Windsor Castle following the death of the monarch in September.
The bears have been professionally cleaned and will be delivered to the children’s charity Barnardos.
An image of the Queen Consort and the bears has been released to mark the donation.
In the photo, Camilla is seen sitting on a low sofa in the Morning Room at Clarence House, surrounded by soft toys.
The picture was taken on Thursday – the 64th anniversary of the publication of the first Paddington Bear book.
The Queen came to be closely associated with the famous Peruvian bear after the pair made a surprise appearance together in a comedy sketch during this summer’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
In the short film, Paddington visited Buckingham Palace for afternoon tea, during which the Queen produced a marmalade sandwich from her handbag.
It prompted mourners to leave teddy bears and even marmalade sandwiches among the floral tributes at royal residences and parks following her death.
In 2016, the Queen passed the patronage of Barnardo’s to Camilla, who was then the Duchess of Cornwall.
Image source, Buckingham Palace/Studio Canal/BBC/Heyday Films
Barnardo’s chief executive Lynn Perry said: “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was Barnardo’s patron for over 30 years, and we are honoured to be able to give homes to the teddies that people left in her memory.
“We promise to look after these bears who will be well-loved and bring joy to the children we support.
“We are incredibly grateful to Her Majesty The Queen Consort for her support in helping us to raise awareness of the needs of vulnerable children and young people in the UK so that we can continue to support them through our vital services.”
Tom Jarvis, director of parks at the Royal Parks charity, said: “Over the last few weeks, we have been looking for a fitting and appropriate use for the hundreds of teddy bears that were left in Green Park and Hyde Park to honour the Queen.
“We are delighted that the teddy bears will now bring joy and comfort to hundreds of children supported by Barnardo’s.”
Buckingham Palace said the teddies had been collected with the help of shire horses and almost 200 volunteers – and were being “well looked after”.