More than 1,000 Paddington Bear toys left in tribute to Queen Elizabeth have been donated to charity.
Paddingtons will be donated to charity (c) Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Many mourners who paid tribute to the late monarch following her death in September aged 96 left the cuddly tributes outside royal residences along with cards and flowers and now Buckingham Palace have announced the bears will be handed over to Barnardo's children's service.
To accompany the announcement, a new photo was released of Queen Consort Camilla - who took over as patron of the charity from the queen in 2016 - with some of the toys at Clarence House on 13 October, the 64th anniversary of the publication of the first Paddington book.
A press release noted: ""The teddy bears will all be professionally cleaned and delivered in the coming weeks."
Barnardo's have welcomed the gesture.
Lynn Perry MBE, chief executive of the charity, 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.”
Paddington Bear was linked to the queen after she appeared in a surprise TV sketch during her Platinum Jubilee, in which she enjoyed marmalade sandwiches with the beloved children's character.
Prince William previously admitted seeing the bears had triggered a wave of grief.
He said: "It is the things you don’t expect that get to you. Paddington is a a new addition but the corgis have been there for longer."
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