PADDINGTON Bear has been a symbol of grief and respect for Her Majesty The Queen in light of her passing.
Although you should not leave any toys in parks, palace gates or anywhere else as a mark of mourning, many are looking to buy them for comfort.
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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away last Thursday, leaving the UK in mourning, and her funeral is to be held on Monday, September 19.
King Charles III has officially declared the funeral to be a bank holiday, meaning most shops and supermarkets will close as a sign of respect.
Many are looking to buy Paddington Bear toys to help them grieve Her Majesty’s death, but it’s important to keep them to yourself rather than leaving them with other grievance gifts.
You can leave flowers or cards instead to show your respect.
There are a few supermarkets and shops which sell Paddington Bear toys – although you’ll need to be quick if you want one.
Many are sold out online at the moment, so you’ll need to check with local stores to make sure they’re in stock. We recommend calling up first to avoid disappointment.
You can use handy store locators if you’re not sure where to go – just search the shop name with ‘store locator’ and one should pop up, like this one.
And remember to browse around elsewhere – there might be cheaper versions on sale that we’ve missed – and you don’t want to be spending a fortune.
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Always factor in delivery costs if you’re ordering to your home – how much extra you spend depends on who you buy from and how far away you live.
And keep in mind you won’t be able to shop many places on Monday, so try to schedule your trip around that day.
Here are a few shops which sell them online:
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s has a Paddington Bear soft toy on sale for £9 – buy here.
It’s sold out online at the moment so it might be worth checking your local store, which you can search for here.
Remember to call up first to make they’re stocked up so your trip isn’t for nothing.
Aldi
Aldi’s version is on sale for £14.99 – you can find it here but it’s also out of stock right now.
Some shoppers spotted it in stores and posted to Facebook – so you might have better luck at your nearest branch.
There were a few excited fans in the comments, with one posting: “Love it. Got the movie on sky store”
Another shopper said: “Got it on Sunday hehe”
You might need to check the Specialbuy section if you can’t find it – but it’s best to call up first to make sure.
You can find your local Aldi store here.
John Lewis
You can grab a cuddly Paddington off John Lewis’ website for £19.99 here – again sold out right now.
If you want to check your nearest shop, you can do that using the searcher.
Hamleys
The Hamleys Paddington cuddly bear is currently in stock online – so be quick. View it here.
It costs £14 but standard delivery costs an extra £3.99.
If you want to buy it from your nearest store instead to avoid delivery fees, you can find it here.
Smyths
The toy shop giant Smyths has a plush Paddington toy on sale for £22.99.
You can’t currently get it delivered but the website says it’s available in stores – definitely call up your local one to check first.
Find your nearest Smyths here.
Argos
You can find Paddington Bear at Argos for £19, or buy two for £30 – find it here.
It doesn’t seem to be sold out – so if you want one, snatch one up now.
Keep in mind delivery adds an extra £2.95 to your order.
Also, you can visit your nearest Argos if that’s easier – find out where that is here.
Similar items
The tech giant Currys has a plastic Paddington Bear for £14.99 which comes with a collection of eight Paddington stories.
The plastic bear acts as an audio substitute – so it reads aloud the storybook for your little one, recorded by Stephen Fry.
You can find it online here – it’s not yet sold out but standard delivery will cost £4 more.
You can also find your closest Currys store here.
However, Argos sells the same for less, at £15. Delivery only costs £2.95 as well.
Marks and Spencer sells a Paddington comforter for £10, also available at your nearest store.
Make sure you’re aware of who’s closing on the day of The Queen’s funeral – check our full list here.
And if you’re on benefits, expect your payments to come through earlier this month. Check when yours is due here.
