King Charles will delight royal fans as he makes an unexpected cameo in the much-anticipated film Paddington in Peru. The 75-year-old monarch doesn’t appear as himself on screen, but rather in a charming, subtle cameo – his face features on a stamp affixed to a letter that Paddington receives at the beginning of the film.
The scene unfolds as Paddington Bear sits in his room at Mr. and Mrs. Brown's London home. Mrs. Brown hands him a letter from his Aunt Lucy in Peru, and the stamp featuring the King can clearly be seen. Notably, the stamp shows a rare, front-facing portrait of His Majesty, instead of the more familiar profile.
Shortly after King Charles’ appearance, another royal cameo is revealed – that of the late Queen Elizabeth.
As Paddington remains in his room, the camera lingers on a photograph of the late Queen having tea with Paddington, both holding teacups and smiling toward the camera. The image was originally created for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
News of the late Queen’s cameo was revealed over the weekend. Rosie Alison, the producer of the third film to feature Michael Bond’s beloved bear, told US outlet Variety that the royal family were “very happy” for the photo to be included.
Alison told Variety: “[The royal family] were actually very happy for it to happen. But we don’t like to make a big deal of it, because Paddington’s obviously a very modest fellow.”
Paddington In Peru, which will be released in the UK on November 8, will follow the bear as he journeys to Peru, returning to visit Aunt Lucy, who now lives at the Home for Retired Bears.
Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin and Imelda Staunton are all reprising their roles from the previous films, Paddington and Paddington 2.
New to the cast are Emily Mortimer, who steps into the role of Mrs. Brown, previously played by Sally Hawkins, alongside Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas.
During the first screening of the film, that took place in London on Saturday, audiences laughed out loud during Olivia’s scenes as a guitar playing nun who is hiding a very big secret.
The audience were also treated to a brief but hilarious appearance by comedic villain Phoenix Buchanan, played by Hugh Grant. At the end of the film, Paddington visits Phoenix in jail and introduces him to his “tribe”, who have travelled all the way from Peru to discover Paddington’s London.