Prince William Was Given a Paddington Bear Toy During Windsor Walkabout in Memory of the Queen

This is so thoughtful.

Prince William, Prince of Wales shakes hands with members of the public on the Long walk at Windsor Castle on September 10, 2022 in Windsor, England. Crowds have gathered and tributes left at the gates of Windsor Castle to Queen Elizabeth II, who died at Balmoral Castle on 8 September, 2022.
(Image credit: Photo by Chris Jackson / Getty)

During walkabouts, members of the Royal Family are traditionally presented with all sorts of gifts—often flowers or food, but sometimes other symbolic items, too.

When Princes William and Harry and their wives, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, greeted well-wishers in Windsor this weekend following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, they were of course given many items.

But it's one special plushy that's warming hearts everywhere: a Paddington bear toy gifted to Prince William in memory of his grandmother.

A little girl gave it to the Prince of Wales from her perch on her father's shoulders, a gesture he really appreciated. "That is so sweet. Thank you very much," the royal told her, according to the Daily Mail.

Pointing to a pile of flowers and other tributes to the Queen, William then asked, "Is that going over there or do you want me to keep it?"

The little girl wanted him to keep it, while her father said, "Either, maybe give it to your children."

William seemed to think that was a good idea, saying, "I might give it to George, thank you very much."

As you probably already know, the choice of a Paddington bear toy is far from innocuous: It's an adorable nod to the Queen's Jubilee skit, in which she invites the clumsy bear to tea at Buckingham Palace, only for him to make a series of faux-pas, before offering her a marmalade sandwich he keeps in his iconic red hat.

The fictional bear will likely always be associated with the monarch from now on. He even paid his respects to her on Twitter, writing, "Thank you Ma'am, for everything," which is a line from the skit. *sobs*

Iris Goldsztajn
Morning Editor

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.

Read more
Kate Middleton wearing a black checkered dress and cream coat smiling walking in front of a wall with green leaves
Kate Middleton Received a Touching Gift for a Family Member During Wales Visit: "I Wasn't Expecting It"
Princess Margaret wears a turquoise blue outfit and stands on Buckingham Palace balcony with Prince William, and Prince Harry and Princess Diana, who wear matching green and white outfits
Prince Harry Once Revealed the "Cold-Blooded" Christmas Gift He Received From a Royal Family Member
A 1980s photo of Princess Diana wearing a long green skirt and white sweater giving Prince William a piggyback in grass next to Prince Charles, who is wearing khakis and a blue shirt holding Prince Harry
Prince William Made a Heartbreaking Admission About His Childhood to Princess Kate After She Explained a Very Normal Activity
Kate Middleton wearing a black plaid dress with a tie neck kneeling on the floor talking to a little girl with families sitting behind her on the floor at a hospice
Princess Kate Is Being Compared to Princess Diana for This "Priceless" Quality During Children's Hospice Visit
Prince William wearing a gray suit jacket talking surrounded by a group of girls wearing yellow Child Bereavement UK shirts
Prince William Opens Up About "The Hardest" Part of Grieving in Emotional Conversation
Kate Middleton wears a long cream coat with a dogtooth print dress and speaks to a young girl in the crowd
Kate Middleton Gave an Adorable Response When Asked Whether She's a "Real" Princess
Latest in Celebrity
Jonathan Davino in a blue shirt and gray blazer and Sydney Sweeney in a black and white patterned dress at the InStyle and Kate Spade dinner in October 2018
Sydney Sweeney Deletes Instagram of Fiancé Jonathan Davino, Further Fueling Breakup Rumors
Meghan Markle in a beige shirt on stage at SXSW in March 2024
Meghan Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow Open Up About Their "Rift" Over Pie
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Queen Camilla has blonde hair and is wearing a dark green shirt dress
Why Queen Camilla Has Been Issued a "Strict" Warning Regarding Her Meeting With the Pope
Benny Blanco in a purple shirt with a white tank top underneath and Selena Gomez in a black dress backstage at The Tonight Show in March 2025
Selena Gomez Says She’s "Excited" to Become a Mom Someday in Joint Interview with Benny Blanco
Meghan Markle wears blue denim jeans
Meghan Markle Confirms Skinny Jeans Are Back by Finally Revealing Her Favorite Frame Denim
Latest in News
Model with barely there makeup, glowy skin, and long coily hair.
Everything You Need to Know About Marie Claire’s Skin and Hair Awards
Two men (Ike Barinholtz and Seth Rogen) sit at a conference table with a script in front of them, as two women (Kathryn Hahn and Chase Sui Wonders) stand behind them, in 'The Studio.'
The Cast of 'The Studio': Your Guide
Bella Hadid walks into a studio wearing an oversize leather jacket with a pair of capri leggings and ballet sneakers
The Ballet Sneaker Trend Is Bella Hadid's Undisputed It-Shoe of 2025
Keke Palmer in a brown cutout dress and long copper hair
Keke Palmer Returns to the Dark Side With Deep Espresso Hair
Jonathan Davino in a blue shirt and gray blazer and Sydney Sweeney in a black and white patterned dress at the InStyle and Kate Spade dinner in October 2018
Sydney Sweeney Deletes Instagram of Fiancé Jonathan Davino, Further Fueling Breakup Rumors
Jennifer Lawrence
The Jennifer Lawrence-Approved Adidas Sneakers Everyone's Talking About Are Secretly On Sale at Nordstrom