British officials asked people mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II to stop leaving marmalade sandwiches outside Buckingham Palace.
Since her death Sept. 8, sandwiches and stuffed Paddington Bear dolls have piled up in designated memorial sites as a nod to a sketch that aired earlier this year in which the queen hosted Paddington Bear for tea as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The marmalade sandwiches, which are Paddington Bear's favorite snack, are having a "negative impact on the park's wildlife," Royal Parks officials said, according to Town & Country. Further, the teddy bears and other nonbiodegradable gifts pose a problem to the royal parklands.
"We would prefer visitors not bring non-floral objects/artifacts such as teddy bears or balloons," the Royal Parks said in guidance issued to the public after the Queen's death, according to Fortune. "Visitors are asked not to leave artifacts in any other areas of the parks."
The organization added: "In the interests of sustainability, we ask visitors to only lay organic or compostable material. The public will be asked to remove all wrapping from floral tributes and place these in the bins provided.
"Removing the wrapping will aid the longevity of the flowers and will assist in subsequent composting which will start between one week and a fortnight after the date of the funeral."
In the famous sketch with Paddington Bear, which premiered on the BBC in June, the animated character tells the queen that he always keeps a marmalade sandwich under his red floppy hat. The queen replies that she hides marmalade sandwiches in her purse. At the end of the video, Paddington Bear congratulates the queen on her 70 years on the throne.
"Happy Jubilee, Ma'am. And thank you. For everything," he says.
"That's very kind," the monarch replies with a smile.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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