Since then, Paddington has become a figurehead of national mourning. Paddington toys and illustrations have been placed outside the palace gates by the public as gestures, as well as marmalade sandwiches. People have also taken to getting more creative; one family in Devon, for instance, spent four hours creating a Paddington artwork out of pebbles and shells on a nearby beach.

Even on social media, the Paddington effect is obvious – the official Paddington Twitter account pulled in one million likes on a tribute post that read: “Thank you Ma’am, for everything.”

The BBC has also inserted the Paddington films into their bank holiday showings and will be airing Paddington on Saturday 17 September, with Paddington 2 playing after the Queen’s state funeral on Monday 19 September.

Although the official connections between the Queen and Paddington have been few and far between, it seems that the decades of small interactions and references to the pair have been enough to capture the public imagination and provide an additional outlet for those who are processing the loss of the only Queen they have ever known.

The Queen and Paddington Bear: the fascinating history behind the monarch’s connection to the beloved bear