Green Park chiefs promise to store Paddingtons left for the Queen

Green Park chiefs promise to store Paddington Bear teddies and artefacts left in honour of the Queen until a decision is made on how to ‘sensitively’ handle them – after urging mourners not to lay stuffed toys and marmalade sandwiches

• Royal Parks said they would ‘decide what to do’ with them over the next months 
• Organisers have encouraged people to stop leaving bears and go for flowers 
• The Queen filmed a sketch with Paddington for her Platinum Jubilee in June
• Thousands of mourners have left tributes to Her Majesty in Green Park 
• Full coverage: Click here to see all our coverage of the Queen’s passing

Royal Parks bosses have promised to store Paddington Bears left in honour of the Queen until a decision is made on how to sensitively handle them – after encouraging mourners not to leave the toys and marmalade sandwiches.  

So many Paddingtons have been left outside the royal residences and a special floral tribute area in Green Park that organisers this morning asked for no more to be brought and for people to stick to unwrapped flowers instead. 

Children across the nation have paid their respects with the teddy bears and marmalade sandwiches in a nod to the delightful sketch filmed for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June. 

But Royal Parks’ website states they would ‘prefer’ visitors not to bring ‘non-floral objects and artefacts such as teddy bears or balloons’. 

In a statement, the parks said they would ‘store’ the teddies that have been left and would decide ‘what to do with them’ over the next few months. 

Royal Parks issued an update saying they don’t know what will happen to the Paddington bears left as a tribute to the Queen. Pictured: a Paddington toy sits among the floral tributes left for the Queen in Green Park today

So many Paddingtons have been left outside the royal residences and a special floral tribute area in Green Park that organisers this morning asked for no more to be brought

Children across the nation have paid their respects with the teddy bears and marmalade sandwiches in a nod to the delightful sketch filmed for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June. Pictured: A bear outside Buckingham Palace on September 10

They added they wouldn’t ‘stop’ people from leaving the bears, but that they would encourage people not to ‘for reasons of sustainability’. 

The fates of the bears that have been lovingly left are now unclear.

Some have suggested they should be distributed to charities, nurseries or children’s hospital wings. 

Security teams have also encouraged people to leave marmalade in jars rather than sandwiches so it is easier to clear away. 

The Queen and Paddington Bear appeared in a comic sketch for her Platinum Jubilee in June

In a simple, yet heartwarming tribute posted on Twitter, Paddington Bear said: ‘Thank you Ma’am, for everything.’

Green Park near Buckingham Palace has a tribute garden for the late monarch where people can lay flowers in her memory. 

Michael Bond’s daughter says it is ‘sad’ mourners told to stop leaving Paddingtons 

Michael Bond’s daughter, Karen Jankel, 64, has said it is ‘sad’ mourners have been told to stop leaving the teddies.

She said her late father – who died in 2017 – would have been ‘overwhelmed’ by his beloved creation being used to honour Her Majesty. 

Ms Jankel said: ‘I think it is sad but on the other hand I can understand with it’s difficult because there are so many of them.

‘It is very lovely but there are so many of them. I’m quite sure that charities could benefit from collecting them but someone has got to go and do it.’

Karen Jankel, 64, with her father Michael Bond and his famous creation before his death

Tens of thousands of people have flocked to the site to leave bouquets, written tributes and cuddly toys in honour of Queen Elizabeth. 

In a statement, Royal Parks told MailOnline: ‘Our priority at the moment is to manage the huge volume of flowers and tributes that are being left in The Green Park Floral Tribute Garden. 

‘We will store any teddies and artefacts that have been left and will work closely with our partners to agree what we do with them over the next few months with discretion and sensitivity.

‘We’re not stopping people from leaving teddies or other artefacts, we would just prefer that they didn’t for reasons of sustainability.

‘The flowers themselves will be removed from the Floral Tribute Garden seven to 14 days after the funeral and will be composted in Kensington Gardens, with the compost then being used on shrubberies and landscaping projects across the Royal Parks.’ 

Royal gardeners have had the mammoth task of removing the plastic wrap from the flowers laid, as members of the public have mucked in to help.

Royal Parks’ website says wrapping from flowers should be removed before they are left, to aid with their longevity and to help with composting, which will begin after the Queen’s funeral on Monday, September 19. 

Michael Bond’s beloved bear appeared in a comic sketch with the Queen to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee in June. 

The two-minute video sees Paddington and the Queen taking tea in Buckingham Palace as the Jubilee celebrations begin. 

Paddington Bear hilariously defies royal etiquette by drinking straight out of the teapot, crushing a cake and pulling a marmalade sandwich out of his hat. 

Queen Elizabeth took the opportunity to showcase her sense of humour by bringing a sandwich out of her bag that she keeps ‘for later’.

Since, Paddington bear has become a symbol of the nation’s love for the Queen.  

Tributes to the monarch after her death on Thursday at Balmoral Castle included sandwiches with ‘For Later!’ written on them. 

A marmalade sandwich had been left by some mourners sad about the death of the Queen

One read: ‘A marmalade sandwich for your heavenly travels! Thank you Ma’am.’

Another had just ‘marmalade sandwich’ written on the bag.

On Twitter on Thursday, Paddington’s account said simply: ‘Thank you Ma’am, for everything,’ referring to his parting words in the video. 

However the sandwiches left out in a touching tribute to the Queen have started to go mouldy. 

One of the security team at Royal Parks, who didn’t want to be named, had heard of the stories of marmalade sandwiches being left.

Though he hadn’t seen any sandwiches himself he said he would encourage people to bring marmalade in a jar so it’s easier for volunteers and workers to remove.

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