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More than 1,000 Paddingtons and other teddy bears left by mourners following Queen Elizabeth II´s death are being donated to a leading children´s charity, Buckingham Palace said Saturday.
Barnardo´s will receive the professionally cleaned toys in the coming weeks after they were left outside royal residences in London and Windsor, along with a sea of flowers, after Elizabeth died on September 8.
The late monarch was patron to Barnardo´s for three decades, the UK charity´s chief executive Lynn Perry said.
“We promise to look after these bears who will be well-loved and bring joy to the children we support,” she said in a palace statement.
Paddington Bear became synonymous with Elizabeth at a “Platinum Party” in early June celebrating her record-breaking 70 years on the throne.
The party and concert memorably kicked off with the queen interacting with a computer-generated Paddington, tapping the beat to Queen´s “We Will Rock You” on her teacup.
London´s Royal Parks service has said meanwhile that the many flowers left last month were to be composted down for re-use in planting projects. (Web Desk/AFP)