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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Ryan Merrifield & Ruth Suter

Grieving mourners asked to stop leaving Paddington Bears and marmalade sandwiches for Queen

Mourners have been asked to stop leaving Paddington Bear toys and marmalade sandwiches as tributes to the late Queen.

Those wishing to pay their respects have, instead, been advice to place only unwrapped flowers in Green Park in London as staff are struggling to cope. The Royal Parks is also urging well-wishers to refrain from leaving balloons and lit candles due to the threat to wildlife, the Mirror reports.

The charity said on its website: "In the interests of sustainability, we ask visitors to only lay organic or compostable material." Video shows people removing the plastic wrapping from floral tributes.

However, the Royal Parks says this means the flowers will last longer and compost quicker. Thousands of people have descended on Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Balmoral following the sudden death of the monarch on Thursday.

The Royal Parks has asked only unwrapped flowers and cards be left (Getty Images)

Her Majesty, 96, had appeared in a sketch alongside Paddington Bear as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June. In it, she comically revealed she keeps a marmalade sandwich in her handbag - a favourite food of the fictional children's book character.

The Royal Parks went on to encourage cards and labels being left, and added they will be eventually "separated from flowers and stored".

Its statement continued: "Unfortunately, no gifts and artefacts will be accepted, and the public will be asked not to bring these to the parks. Non-floral objects/artefacts such as teddy bears or balloons should not be brought."

The tributes will remain in place until after the Queen's state funeral on September 19, when they will be removed over an estimated 14 day period. The Queen's procession arrived this afternoon in the Palace of Holyroodhouse after the long journey from her beloved Balmoral estate, with her grieving children Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Princess Anne lining up to greet her coffin.

A Paddington Bear teapot is seen with floral tributes left at the Norwich Gate outside the Sandringham (Getty Images)

Crowds gathered in the city to pay their respects at the Palace, where Her Majesty's body will remain for the night. HM's coffin, which has been draped with the yellow Royal Standard of Scotland, will rest in the throne room until tomorrow afternoon.

It will then travel in a procession to Edinburgh's St Giles' Cathedral, along the Royal Mile, with the King and the late Queen's other children the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex following behind on foot, along with Anne's husband Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

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