A much-loved teddy bear, given pride of place in the late Queen's private rooms, is now on public display for the first time. The 'Haddington' bear, named after the famous Paddington Bear, can be seen as the Palace of Holyroodhouse opens her private chambers to fee-paying visitors to mark the centenary of her birth.
The tour provides new insight into Queen Elizabeth II's private life, featuring personal objects such as the Scottish bear, gifted to her around the millennium. He was one of the few personal items she liked to have displayed at the Edinburgh palace.
Television viewers will recall the Queen having tea with Paddington in a heartwarming sketch during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Palace curator Emma Stead explained: 'The Queen was given him as a gift and after that she asked that whenever she arrived here, he be placed in that particular position on the sofa awaiting her arrival. She had a few personal objects that she liked to be placed quite precisely.'
Another such item is the pin cushion to the left of the fireplace, presented to her when she attended the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, featuring badges from all participating countries. Learning curator Dr Richard Williams noted that colleagues in Windsor, when tasked with redecorating the private quarters, photographed everything so items could be returned to their exact spots.
The monarch's official residence in Scotland opened the private rooms, used by Her Majesty and Prince Philip during her 70-year reign, to the public yesterday. Dr Williams explained that these areas, not usually open to visitors, reveal a different side to Royal life. 'These are not rooms with grand chandeliers. These rooms are much more liveable, domestic, very comfortable spaces of a modern couple. It does give us a quite new insight into this aspect of the life of Queen Elizabeth II. The contrast is really quite marked.'
The rooms date from the 17th century and have been used by the Royal Family since Queen Victoria's reign. Queen Elizabeth stayed at the palace during Holyrood Week each summer, undertaking engagements celebrating Scottish culture and achievement, including the annual garden party. The private rooms are furnished with historic objects from the Royal Collection, as well as pieces from the late couple's personal collections.
Tours take visitors through rooms including the royal breakfast room, where they would dine privately while in residence. Dr Williams said the Queen would have breakfast there with the Queen's piper playing in the garden below. She and the Duke of Edinburgh would have a newspaper delivered, alongside the Radio Times and the Racing Post.
The tours conclude in the sitting room where the Queen would work, reviewing documents from Government red dispatch boxes, hosting private audiences, or resting, often while watching horseracing on television. The tours of the private rooms will run daily until September 10 and must be booked in addition to the standard admission ticket to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
