King Charles has given a heartwarming nod to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II with a £7 ‘hand-stirred’ treat. The royal is selling his own range of marmalade in the Royal Collection Shop; the very same spread that is famously beloved by the fictional Paddington Bear. Charles’ range is a wholesome throwback to his late mother’s memorable Platinum Jubilee sketch with Paddington, during which she was gifted marmalade sandwiches by the bear.
The monarch’s marmalade collection includes a £7 ‘Fine Cut Seville Orange’ flavour that is ‘hand-stirred’ in the UK, and according to the product description on the Royal Collection Shop website, “brings a touch of regal elegance to any meal.” Meanwhile, his Palace of Holyroodhouse Marmalade has added Scotch Whisky to the recipe. The spread “adds a taste of royal tradition to any table”. New to the King’s range is a ‘Golden Three Fruit Marmalade’ made with lemons, oranges and grapefruit.
In both the live-action films and Michael Bond’s Paddington series, a key trait of the fictional bear is his love for marmalade – particularly when spread on a sandwich. The spread is quintessentially British and loved by even the King. During a 2012 visit to Cumbria, Charles was given marmalade to taste, to which he proclaimed: “I do like marmalade. And marmalade pudding.”
© ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/ BAV MEDIAFine cut marmalade
© ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/ BAV MEDIAGolden marmalade
The Queen’s special connection to Paddington
Queen Elizabeth II’s 2022 Platinum Jubilee sketch featured an animated Paddington joining her for afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace, where they shared their mutual love of marmalade sandwiches. In the sketch, Paddington offered the royal a sandwich kept beneath his hat. The Queen then revealed she also kept an emergency marmalade sandwich in her bag. She explained: “I keep mine in here. For later.” Paddington then wished the royal: “Happy Jubilee Ma’am. And thank you. For everything.”
When Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, marmalade sandwiches were left by mourners as a sweet tribute to the royal and her viral sketch with Paddington. The most recent Paddington film, titled Paddington in Peru and released in 2024, paid tribute to the Queen with a framed photograph of the Platinum Jubilee sketch appearing in the movie.
© ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/ BAV MEDIAQueen Elizabeth II and Paddington in 2022.
Paddington is loved by other royals too
Over the years, members of the Royal Family have come face-to-face with the famous bear. On 19 November 2025, the Prince and Princess of Wales were pictured with Paddington at the Royal Variety Performance, which included a performance from Paddington: The Musical. The musical opened at London’s Savoy Theatre on November 1 and features music by McFly’s Tom Fletcher. In the photos, Kate held a marmalade sandwich.
© Getty ImagesCatherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William with Paddington Bear