On May 22, 2026, it was revealed that Queen Elizabeth II had a unique companion during her time at her Scottish royal residence—a cherished teddy bear named Haddington Bear. This special toy, dressed in tartan, held a place of honor on a pink sofa as the late monarch attended to her duties with the iconic red boxes at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
The bear, named after the town of Haddington in East Lothian, was a thoughtful gift to the Queen. Its name playfully referenced the beloved children’s character, Paddington Bear, adding a touch of whimsy to the royal setting.
Haddington Bear who belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth
This detail about the Queen’s affection for Haddington Bear has come to light as the Royal Collection Trust offers a rare glimpse into the private apartments of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, inviting the public to discover more about the personal touches that adorned their royal lives.
Haddington was a gift and was named after a nearby East Lothian town with more than a nod to Paddington Bear, the popular children’s character.
The Queen’s penchant for Haddington has been revealed as the Royal Collection Trust opens the doors of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s private apartments for the first time.
Emma Stead, the curator for the Palace of Holyroodhouse, said: “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 one is the pin cushion just to the left of the fireplace, which was presented to her when she attended the Commonwealth Games in 1986 in Edinburgh, and it has all the badges of the represented countries who took part.”
Learning curator Richard Williams added: “All we can say is the Queen was very particular and that always would have gone there.
“I know from staff colleagues in Windsor that if they were going to redecorate her private rooms, they would take photos of everything so that they could put things back in the exact spot.”
Tours of the private rooms are now open and will run daily until September 10, closing only for this year’s Royal Week.
Visitors to the Palace of Holyroodhouse – the monarch’s official residence in Scotland – will be able to view Queen Elizabeth’s sitting room, dressing room and where she ate breakfast, as well as the late Prince Philip’s desk, art collection and his own oil painting of the landscape from Balmoral.
The public will be surprised to learn that the royal couple lived an ordinary life at the residence and would relax in the evenings watching television or watching VHS videos or listening to the radio.
Dr Richard Williams, learning curator at the Royal Collection Trust, said: “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 late Queen spent “Royal Week” in the palace every year, where she hosted a garden party, audiences and undertook her business of state in Scotland amid public engagements.
Three of the Queen’s outfits will also be on show, in a small room with a large wardrobe and a dressing table upon which a Roberts radio is set to Radio 4, as Elizabeth enjoyed listening to the radio as she dressed up to five times a day for her royal duties.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is now used by King Charles III – the son of Queen Elizabeth II – and his wife Queen Camilla.
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, dies on 9 April 2021 aged 99. Queen Elizabeth passed away on 8 September 2022 at the age of 96.
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