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  "path": "/royal/queen-camilla-meets-paddington-bear-as-pair-share-marmalade-sandwiches-during-reception",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-25T19:49:10.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Norway provides health update on King Harald's 'serious' infection after monarch rushed to hospital",
    "King kept promise and visited beloved nanny, 100, in days after Andrew arrest",
    "Mike Tindall branded 'embarrassing' following controversial statement after England's defeat",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nQueen Camilla has met Paddington Bear as the pair shared his delicious marmalade sandwiches when she met a series of stars at a reception for the final of the BBC 500 words competition.\n\nMore than 46,000 children entered this year, with youngsters of all abilities encouraged to write and show off their literacy skills.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nCamilla presented medals to the winners, who will be announced on March 6.\n\nFollowing the ceremony at Windsor Castle, the Queen met Paddington Bear who has been brought to life for his musical on the West End.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nCamilla shook hands with the little bear, who was dressed in his signature blue duffle coat and red hat and thanked him for coming to the event.\n\nThe Queen said: \"Hello Paddington... How very nice to meet you, thank you very much for coming.\n\n\"You're very kind, you are going to give all your marmalade sandwiches to all these children. Perhaps I can have one too?\"\n\nPaddington gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up to Camilla's question, and guests later were offered marmalade sandwiches.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Norway provides health update on King Harald's 'serious' infection after monarch rushed to hospital\n  * King kept promise and visited beloved nanny, 100, in days after Andrew arrest\n  * Mike Tindall branded 'embarrassing' following controversial statement after England's defeat\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe late Queen Elizabeth II famously appeared in a comedy sketch with a digitally animated Paddington Bear to mark her Platinum Jubilee.\n\nA hilarious joke in the sketch showed the late Queen revealing she keeps her marmalade sandwiches in her handbag, to Paddington's surprise.\n\nOther stars at the event included Peep Show actor Paterson Joseph, TV presenters Bradley and Barney Walsh and Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker.\n\nMr Joseph thanked the Queen for \"all you are doing for literacy\", adding: \"There's been a big drop since Covid.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nMr Walsh told Camilla her work with the competition is \"a wonderful thing\", with his son Barney chipping in: \"The creativity of the children is unbelievable\".\n\nCamilla also met the competition judges, including Sir Lenny Henry, who had been talking with the children who made the final.\n\nHe said: \"They've all said 'I'm writing a sequel, I've got a follow-up, it's going to be amazing'.\n\n\"Some of them have agents, there's a limo outside for one of them already, I mean they're really ahead of the game these kids, they're amazing.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nSir Lenny continued: \"I was so humbled when I sat down with all the judges, it's an amazing experience, and it inspires me to put my back into my writing. These kids have got me beat.\"\n\nAsked about concerns over the lack of children reading for pleasure, Sir Lenny said: \"It doesn't feel like that to me, it feels like these kids are smart and they've got big ideas and they want to write.\"\n\nAuthor Malorie Blackman said she hopes the competition will encourage children to read more.\n\nOf the Queen, she said: \"Her Majesty is such a champion of literacy and particularly children's literacy, and I think she realises how important it is to be read to and have stories, to share stories as a way of connecting and communicating with other people.\n\n\"She has always been a champion of that, and she does an awful lot behind the scenes that people might not see, so it is a cause very dear to her heart.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Queen Camilla meets Paddington Bear as pair share marmalade sandwiches during reception"
}