The teddy bear the late Queen wanted on her sofa every night
The teddy bear the late Queen wanted on her sofa every night
Hannah FurnessThu, May 21, 2026 at 4:19 PM UTC
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Haddington Bear was in position every day as Her Majesty worked her way through her red boxes at her official residence in Scotland - Jane Barlow / PA
As Elizabeth II worked at her desk in Edinburgh, she was watched by a small teddy bear dressed in tartan and perched on the pink sofa nearby.
Known as Haddington Bear, after a town in East Lothian, the teddy was in position every day at the special request of the monarch, as she worked her way through her red boxes at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The bear is one of the personal touches on display from Thursday, as the Royal Collection Trust opens the doors to the late Queen and Prince Philip’s private apartments at their official residence in Scotland for the first time.
Emma Stead, the curator for Holyrood Palace, 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.”
Visitors will be able to see the late Queen’s sitting room, dressing room and where she ate breakfast, as well as Prince Philip’s desk, art collection and his own oil painting of the landscape from Balmoral.
The Royal Collection Trust opens the doors of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s private Edinburgh apartments for the first time - Royal Collection Trust
They offer a rare insight into the couple at work and rest, with an ordinary television on a plastic stand holding a VHS video player, and the radio the Queen listened to as she dressed both on display.
Guides will point out the chair she sat in while eating breakfast alone after the death of her husband, and the table where she would pour out tea for her family after boiling the kettle herself.
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. She hosted a garden party, held audiences and undertook her business of state in Scotland, along with public engagements.
The desk at which the Queen conducted business of state - Peter Summers / Getty
The rooms are still part of the working palace, now used by the King and Queen Camilla, but will be opened to the public for 100 days when they are not in residence.
Three of Elizabeth II’s outfits will be on display in a small room with a large wardrobe and a dressing table upon which a Roberts radio is tuned to Radio 4.
Curators said the late Queen liked to listen to the radio as she dressed, going through three to five outfits per day when she was on duty.
She and Prince Philip chose the art on the walls, building a collection of contemporary art with a focus on oil paintings and female artists. Many of the works are landscapes, with some still life images, industrial scenes and seascapes.
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Outfits worn by the late Queen will be on display - Jane Barlow / PA
Prince Philip’s personal items included a model ship in a glass case and a model cannon on his desk. The Queen’s sitting room, which is decorated in pink and green, includes a red, white and blue pin cushion and Haddington Bear.
Ms Stead added: “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.”
Dr Richard Williams, the palace’s learning curator, 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.”
The pin cushion given to the Queen during the 1986 Commonwealth Games - Jane Barlow / PA
The rooms date from the 17th century and have been used by successive monarchs and members of the Royal family since the reign of Queen Victoria. Much of the decoration, including the tapestries on the walls and embroidered chairs, was overseen by Queen Mary in the reign of George V.
The private rooms are furnished with historic objects from the Royal Collection, as well as pieces from Elizabeth and Philip’s personal collections.
Framed photographs on the desks show the late Queen and her husband in Scotland over their 70-year marriage, with her late father and mother and Princess Margaret, her sister.
In the breakfast room, visitors will hear about the late Queen’s routine while in residence.
Elizabeth II, who died in 2022, was very particular, and every item had a certain spot in the residence - Jane Barlow / Getty
Dr Williams said: “She would take breakfast between 9am and 9.15am, with the Queen’s piper playing down below in the garden.
“She and the Duke of Edinburgh would be here. The Scotsman newspaper would be delivered, also the Radio Times and the Racing Post as well. The Queen always knew everything that was going on.
“After the Duke of Edinburgh passed away, breakfast was the only meal that she would eat by herself, and she would sit in the chair with her back to the fireplace so she could see all the members of staff and people’s comings and goings in front of her.
“For other times of the day, she would eat with members of the Royal family.”
The tours conclude in the sitting room where the late Queen would work, reviewing the papers and documents presented in government red boxes. She would also use the room for private audiences or resting between engagements, often while watching racing on television.
The tours of the private rooms run daily from Thursday until Sept 10, except during Royal Week.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
