Her Majesty Queen Mummy (the Mummy of Her Majesty Queen Lilibet, Queen of all the Bears) has brought orphaned bear, Emmett back to Bearingham Palace where she gets the royal cooks to feed him jam fancies to fill his grumbly tummy, whilst she decides what to do with him.
QUEEN MUMMY: "Ahh, this tipple of dubonnet and gin was just what We needed." *Sips her dubonnet and gin.*
EMMETT: *Munch, munch munch.*
QUEEN MUMMY: "My word! You do have a grumbly tummy, sweet little Emmett."
EMMET: *Munch, munch, munch.* "Is my lemonade coming, Queen Mummy?"
QUEEN MUMMY: "Presently dear. Presently." *Tuts.* "And don't speak with your mouth full, dear. It's most unseemly."
EMMETT: "Munch, munch." Sorry Queen Mummy, it's just I have a very grumbly tummy.* "Munch, munch."
QUEEN MUMMY: "That's alright, dear sweet Emmett. We know you have quite good manners really."
EMMETT: *Much, munch, munch.*
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Hullo Mummy!"
QUEEN MUMMY: "Hullo Lilbet, dear!"
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "I'm sorry We are late, but you know how Bear Prime Ministers can be!" *Rolls eyes.*
QUEEN MUMMY: "Yes dear. They love the sound of their own voices, don't they?"
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Grizzly Sunak especially." *Giggles.* "Well, We'll just go and get changed and then We can go visit the horses in the mews."
QUEEN MUMMY: "Can We take one extra with us, Lilibet dear?"
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "One extra?"
QUEEN MUMMY: *Silently glances towards Emmett who is so focussed on eating the jam fancies before him that he hasn't noticed Queen Lilibet entering the room.
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Oh! Who is this then?"
EMMETT: *Munch, munch, munch.*
QUEEN MUMMY: "Ahem... this is Emmett, Lilibet dear. We found him in the Bearingham Palace gardens."
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Mummy!" *Shocked.* "You can't go around bearnapping random little bears and bringing them home, Mummy!"
QUEEN MUMMY: "Lilibet!" *Shocked.* "As if We would, dear! Emmett is an orphan bear, with no Mummy, nor Daddy, nor home!"
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "No Mummy? No Daddy? No home?"
EMMETT: *Munch, munch, munch.*
QUEEN MUMMY: "No Lilibet dear. He blew in from Shropshire on the wind, and wound up stuck hanging from one of Our camellias. He had a grumbly tummy after his long journey from Shropshire to London, so We decided to bring him back to the palace and feed him."
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Yes, We can see that, Mummy." *Pondetrs.* "But what are We going to do with him?"
QUEEN MUMMY: "Well why don't We keep him? We have plenty of room here at Bearingham Palace after all."
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Hhhmmm..." *Ponders.* "We shall have to think about it." *Bends down to Emmett's height.* "Hullo young Emmett. I see you have a very grumbly tummy indeed. Are you enjoying your jam fancies?"
EMMETT: *Munch, munch, munch.* "Oh yes thank you." *Pauses mid bite.* "Oh, are you Queen Mummy's daughter, The Queen?"
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Yes dear, We are Her Majesty, Queen Lilibet, Queen of all the bears."
EMMETT: *Stops eating.* "How do you do, Your Majesty, Queen Lilibet, Queen of all the bears."
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "How do you do, Emmett." *Chuckles.* "You don't have to call me that. You can call Us Ma'am, as in ham."
EMMETT: "Alright Ma'am as in Ham." *Considers.* "But where is your crown? Don't kings and queens wear crowns? They do in all the books of faerie tales at the bear orphanage in Shropshire."
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Well, We do have a crown, but We don't wear it all the time. We like wearing hats too. Do you think this one suits Us?" *Preens.*
EMMETT: "Oh, yes I do, Ma'am as in Ham."
QUEEN MUMMY: *Muffles ,chuckle with her paw.*
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Mummy!"
QUEEN MUMMY: "Sorry dear. It just reminds Us of the stories you told Us about that little grey bear from Australia who called you 'Ma'am as in Ham', the one who liked to dance and wear tutus. What was his name again?"
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Scout, Mummy." *Smiles.* "Yes, We love him very much and consider him a favourite of Ours."
QUEEN MUMMY: "Didn't he have a frequently grumbly tummy, too?"
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "He did, and We imagine that he still does." *Giggles.*
QUEEN MUMMY: *Giggles and sips her dubonnet and gin.*
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Hhhmmm..." *Ponders as she looks at Emmett eating jam fancies.* "Hhhmmm... Of course! That's it!"
QUEEN MUMMY: "What's it, Lilibet dear?"
EMMETT: "What's it, Ma'am as in Ham?"
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "That's the solution!"
QUEEN MUMMY: "It is, dear?"
EMMETT: "It is, Ma'am as in Ham?"
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Yes!" *Smiles and looks at Emmett. "Tell me Emmett, what it is you most dearly would like in your heart of hearts."
EMMETT: "Besides biscuits and chocolates and sweeties, Ma'am as in Ham?"
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Yes, in addition to biscuits and chocolates and sweets, Emmett."
EMMETT: "Well, I want a Mummy or Daddy to belong to, and a home to live in."
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Very good, Emmett. And tell me, what would that Mummy or Daddy be like?"
EMMETT: "Well, they would be loving and caring, kiss and cuddle me and keep me safe... oh and feed my grumbly tummy." *Picks up half eaten jam fancy and munches it.*
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "We see." *Smiles. "And what would your home be like?"
EMMETT: "Somewhere pretty with sunshine and a garden to play hide-and-seek in, especially if there were other bears to play with and cuddle, a place for tea parties," *Ponders.* "Oh, and lots of food to fill my grumbly tummy. Grumbly tummy, Ma'am as in Ham! Grumbly tummy!" *Rubs tummy vigorously.*
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Excellent! We know just the place, and just the Daddy for you, sweet little Emmett!" *Claps paws in delight.*
EMMETT: "You do, Ma'am as in Ham?"
HM QUEEN LILIBET: "Yes dear Emmett. How would you like to come with me on a trip to Australia?"
EMMETT: "May I have my lemonade first, Ma'am as in Ham? Queen Mummy promised I could have a lemonade instead of a dubonnet and gin."
Made by Merrythought in England, Emmett is a charming little bear, sweet and smiling, crafted from multi-tonal marl grey mohair and featuring golden velvet paws. He is accessorised with a classic tartan woollen scarf. He is number 23 or a limited worldwide edition of 200.
The Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Bear is also made by Merrythought in England, but was only available through the Danbury Mint charity. She’s hand-made from the finest soft blond mohair with a wonderful hand-stitched nose and sparkling blue eyes – just like Her Majesty. Her footpads are made from luxuriously soft cream velvet – one features the Queen’s royal cypher delicately embroidered in golden thread – and the other, of course, bears Merrythought’s iconic wishbone label finished with the proud boast, “Hand-made in England!” She wears a coat of deep violet, much favoured by Her Late Majesty, and a hat in the style worn by her in her later years. Pinned to her coat is a specially-commissioned brooch inspired by one from the Queen’s own collection – the Kent Amethyst Brooch. The original brooch, which formed part of a much larger jewellery set, was made in the early part of the Nineteenth century for the Duchess of Kent, who passed it on to her daughter, Queen Victoria, in 1861. In a similar style to the original brooch, the eye-catching hexagonal purple amethyst-coloured crystal centrepiece sits below diamond-white crystal encrusted scrollwork with rows of shimmering crystals beneath to create a shell-like shape. The Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Bear was issued in a strict limited edition. Not only was she made exclusively and only available from the Danbury Mint, but production ceased forever on the 2nd June 2023 ̶ the 70th anniversary of the Coronation.
Made by Merrythought in England, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Bear is an affectionate tribute this most beloved of Royal Family members. Exquisitely designed and made in 2002, she is traditionally fashioned from the finest curled silver green mohair and pure silk, wearing a typical flower decorated hat both in a favoured shade of pale mint green. She has twinkling blue eyes and a gentle smile so reminiscent of the gracious lady born in 1900, and loved and respected by people the world over. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Bear is number 422 of a limited worldwide edition of 2,500. The two strand pearl necklace she wears are my Grandmother’s Mikimoto pearls.
