Bishop remembers unexpected marmalade gift for Queen

The Rt Revd John Inge met the Queen every year at her Maundy Money service

The Queen's meeting with Paddington was not the first time she received an unexpected offer of marmalade, the Bishop of Worcester has recalled.

The Rt Revd John Inge oversaw the Queen's distribution of Maundy Money to deserving people at ceremonies each year.

He said one keen recipient at one event surprised the Queen by giving her a gift of marmalade in return.

He said she rose to the occasion, smiled, and calmly passed the jar on.

The Bishop was appointed Lord High Almoner in 2013 and handed the purses containing the coins to Her Majesty every year, one for every year of her life for men and one for every year of her life for women.

The service is held every Maundy Thursday at a fresh location every year.

Recipients are chosen in recognition of their service to the church and their communities.

He said she took it "extremely seriously" and that it was "one of the most important events in her calendar".

He would advise them beforehand to simply bow or curtsey and say "Thank you very much Your Majesty" or "Thank you very much Ma'am," he explained.

The jar of marmalade came as a surprise to everyone, but he said it was an example of how she could "keep her cool and remain radiant".

The Queen shared a jar of marmalade with Paddington in a short film made for her Platinum Jubilee

Like others, he remembered how she could "put people at ease with her smile and a twinkle in eye" and said her sense of fun was not always seen in public, until her appearances with James Bond and Paddington in her later years.

"I will miss her enormously," he said.

What next? A day-by-day guide from now to the funeral

Bank holiday approved for day of Queen's funeral

How can I pay my respects to the Queen?

How titles and the line of succession have changed