Platinum Jubilee viewers in awe over The Queen and Paddington sketch

Viewers got quite a shock last night when Paddington Bear made a surprise appearance at Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Party at the Palace, which had been held to celebrate her historic Jubilee.

The sketch opened the show on a comedic high note as Paddington didn't quite master the palace rules, first chugging an entire teapot in front of the monarch and later splatting a cake that had been laid out for the occasion.

The Queen was somewhat bemused by the clumsy bear, but they later bonded over a shared love of marmalade sandwiches, in a moment that got one of the biggest reactions of the night.

After Paddington says he always keeps one of the tasty snacks in his hat for emergencies, Her Majesty reveals that she does the same and pulls one out of her handbag that she saving "for later".

Ghosts star Simon Farnaby also makes a cameo appearance in the sketch, which is quite fitting as the comedy actor co-wrote the critically acclaimed Paddington 2 along with director Paul King.

BBC journalist Michael Cowan was among those to share the full clip and said that it was "incredible" that The Queen is still finding ways to surprise the public after seven decades on the throne.

A video by Omid Scobie gave some insight into the reception to the video outside Buckingham Palace, where the Jubilee concert was taking place, with the crowd roaring to life over the marmalade sandwich gag.

Another Twitter user pointed out that the sketch demonstrates how Queen Elizabeth II has kept up with new technological developments during he reign, with the latest example being advancements in CGI used to bring Paddington to life.

There had also been glee over the conclusion of the sketch, in which The Queen and Paddington Bear tap their teacups and saucers to the beat of Queen's We Will Rock You.

Reception to the Platinum Party at the Palace has been warm, with Eurovision star Sam Ryder, comedian Lee Mack and opera singer Andrea Bocelli considered standouts acts, while praise also went to the BBC itself for the slick presentation.

Platinum Party at the Palace is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

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