Tributes to the Queen: mourners told not to leave Paddington bears and marmalade sandwiches in Green Park

The Royal Parks, which manages the London tribute site, said only unwrapped flowers should be left “in the interests of sustainability”
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Mourners leaving tributes to the Queen have been kindly asked to not leave gifts and artefacts, including Paddington bears and marmalade sandwiches, as tributes to the Queen, and instead only leave unwrapped flowers.

It comes as park officials cope with the creative ways in which people have paid their respects.

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Thousands of people have travelled to Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Balmoral to pay their respects since the monarch’s death was announced on Thursday 8 September.

Members of the public have left tributes including teddy bears, Corgi soft toys, balloons and marmalade sandwiches - in a nod to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee sketch with Paddington Bear.

The Royal Parks, which manages the designated London tribute site in Green Park, is also urging well-wishers not to leave balloons or lit candles.

In a statement on its website, the charity said: "In the interests of sustainability, we ask visitors to only lay organic or compostable material.”

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It comes as a video posted on social media captured civic-minded people voluntarily removing plastic wrapping from flowers left by others.

The Royal Parks said removing plastic packaging makes the flowers last longer and compost more easily.

It added that cards and labels are permitted, but would later be "separated from flowers and stored".

The charity said: "Unfortunately, no gifts and artefacts will be accepted, and the public will be asked not to bring these to the parks.

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"Non-floral objects/artefacts such as teddy bears or balloons should not be brought."

They added that lit candles are not accepted in the park and would be extinguished.

Why is Paddington bear being left as a tribute?

The globally recognised soft toy is being left in memory of the Queen outside Buckingham Palace after the late monarch recently appeared in a surprise comic sketch with Paddington Bear.

The pair shared marmalade sandwiches at Buckingham Palace in the sketch that formed part of the Platinum Jublieee celebrations earlier this year honouring her 70-year reign.

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A young girl told ITV News she left a Paddington Bear soft toy outside Buckingham Palace in tribute to the Queen, saying she “brought her Paddington teddy for the Queen because I really liked the Jubilee thing she did with Paddington Bear”.

How much memorabilia is being bought?

The manager of a souvenir shop near Buckingham Palace said the number of customers buying memorabilia has doubled overnight following the Queen’s death.

Cool Britannia’s manager, Ismial Ibrahim, told Sky News how suppliers are working overtime and scores of people are coming through the shop each day.

The 27-year-old said: "Since that evening, we have had a huge flow of people.

“The footfall has gone really high and since then people have started asking about anything to do with the Queen."

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