Since the news of Queen Elizabeth II's death on Thursday, the internet has been flooded with stories, photographs, and tender farewells paying tribute to Britain's longest reigning monarch.
But one goodbye in particular fiercely tugs at the heartstrings.
On Thursday, beloved fictional children's literature character Paddington Bear shared a message on Twitter for the queen:
"Thank you Ma'am, for everything."
\u201cThank you Ma\u2019am, for everything.\u201d— Paddington (@Paddington) 1662658878
Some may recognize that this is a line Paddington used in a video for the queen's Platinum Jubilee in June.
In the video, the queen and Paddington are having tea together. Paddington swigs the tea straight from the teapot as the queen watches in disbelief. Toward the end of the video, the two reveal where they hide their marmalade sandwiches.
The crowd can be heard cheering outside as Paddington wishes the queen a happy jubilee.
He then removes his hat and and utters sincerely:
"...and thank you, for everything."
You can watch the video below.
🥪 👜 Ma’amalade sandwich Your Majesty?youtu.be
The responses to Paddington Bear's tweet were nearly as precious as his own farewell message.
\u201c@paddingtonbear\u201d— Paddington (@Paddington) 1662658878
\u201c@paddingtonbear @Iainmackay8 Thank you Ma'am, for everything, from all of us.\u201d— Paddington (@Paddington) 1662658878
\u201c@paddingtonbear https://t.co/svtXLj3gq2\u201d— Paddington (@Paddington) 1662658878
\u201c@paddingtonbear Indeed. Thank you, ma'am, for everything. \ud83d\ude4f\ud83d\ude25\ud83d\ude22\u201d— Paddington (@Paddington) 1662658878
\u201c@kevwgs @paddingtonbear This afternoon tea was a moment in history\u201d— Paddington (@Paddington) 1662658878
\u201c@paddingtonbear I\u2019m sure heaven is full of marmalade\u201d— Paddington (@Paddington) 1662658878
\u201c@paddingtonbear \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83d\udc94\ud83d\udca6\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 \u2728Thank \ud83e\udd70 You\u201d once again, Your Majesty \ud83d\udc51 #HRH #QueenElizabeth \ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffb\ud83d\udc9e@RoyalFamily\ud83c\udff0\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 for kindly inviting us all for tea \u2615\ufe0f\ud83e\uded6 and marmalade \ud83e\udd6a\ud83d\udc5c sandwiches with your \ud83d\udc9e friend (and ours) \ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffb\ud83d\udc9e@PaddingtonBear\ud83e\uddf8!! \ud83e\udd70\n\n\u2728#ForeverYoung\u2728 \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 \ud83d\udd4a\ud83d\udc9e\n\nhttps://t.co/syxQMeY6ce\u201d— Paddington (@Paddington) 1662658878
\u201c@paddingtonbear Wow. I was crying before but now I definitely am! Rest In Peace your majesty. \ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\udc9c\ud83d\udc9c\ud83d\udc9c\u201d— Paddington (@Paddington) 1662658878
\u201c@paddingtonbear holding back tears fr\u201d— Paddington (@Paddington) 1662658878
\u201c@paddingtonbear Yes!! Thank you HRM Queen Elizabeth! You were a woman of integrity, selflessness, kindness, sacrificial nature, great conviction, & great & strong Christian faith!\n\n\u201cWell Done Great and faithful servant!\u201d\u201d— Paddington (@Paddington) 1662658878
\u201c@paddingtonbear @paddingtonbear your contribution and inclusion in the Platinum Jubilee celebration of our dearest Queen\u2019s reign, will always be a cherished moment adored by our nation, and now one which has an even greater sense of poignancy as we mourn our nations matriarch #QueenElizabeth\u201d— Paddington (@Paddington) 1662658878
\u201c@paddingtonbear Well said Paddington\u201d— Paddington (@Paddington) 1662658878
\u201c@paddingtonbear I love the simplicity of Paddington\u2019s final line in the video, and repeated in the tweet. May Her Majesty Rest In Peace. God Save The King!\u201d— Paddington (@Paddington) 1662658878
Since Thursday, we have been reminded of the queen's spirit and wit through shared stories and videos, such as the resurfaced video of the queen's former bodyguard Richard Griffin recalling a time when two American tourists did not recognize the queen...and she played along!
As for Paddington's tribute, the queen would likely have had the same response as in the video:
"That's very kind."
