Party at the Palace: Prince Charles pays jubilee tribute but Paddington steals show

Queen Elizabeth stars in skit with Peruvian bear in which she reveals a surprise in her handbag

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear take cream tea at Buckingham Palace. PA

People gather on The Mall in London ahead of the BBC Platinum Party at the Palace. Reuters

Many people at the concert wore Union Flag clothing and accessories. Reuters

The Duchess of Cornwall, the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal watch on.

The Duchess of Cambridge smiles as concert gets into full swing.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson take their seats. AFP

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria get ready to watch the acts. AFP

Several people were arrested while staging a protest. Reuters

Opening act Adam Lambert performs Queen hits for the queen.

Sam Ryder performs his Eurovision hit, 'Spaceman'. AP

Prince William addresses crowd on what he called an 'incredible' night.

Rod Stewart involves the crowd in a rendition of Neil Diamond's latter-day football anthem 'Sweet Caroline'. Getty

Sir Elton John performs by video link beamed onto the facade of Buckingham Palace.

A sparkly Craig David performs a selection of hits from his back catalogue. Getty

Andrea Bocelli sings 'Nessun Dorma'. Getty

Jason Donovan dazzles in his technicoloured dream coat as he reprises role of Joseph for the concert.

Alicia Keys adapts lyrics of her paean to New York to reference London. AP

Prince Charles pays tribute to his and the 'nation's mother'.

Mike Tindall, Zara Tindall, Boris Johnson, Sadiq Khan, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Anne Princess Royal and guests attend the Platinum Party At The Palace at Buckingham Palace. Getty Images

Britain's Prince George of Cambridge (L) and Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge react during the Platinum Party at Buckingham Palace. AFP

Drones form the message "Thank You Ma'am" during the Platinum Party At The Palace at Buckingham Palace in London, England. Getty Images

Diana Ross performs during the Platinum Party At The Palace at Buckingham Palace. Getty Images

Hans Zimmer and Celeste perform during the Platinum Party At The Palace at Buckingham Palace. Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II invited Paddington Bear to tea and revealed she shared his passion for marmalade sandwiches, as the platinum jubilee Party at the Palace concert got off to an unexpected start on Saturday night in the UK.

The long-serving monarch and Peru's most famous furry export were shown tapping their spoons on their teacups to the beat of Queen's We Will Rock You by way of introduction to Party at the Palace's opening act - Queen + Adam Lambert.

The queen's show-stealing turn was all the more impressive given she was not at the concert in person after a recurrence of her periodic mobility issues, which also forced her to miss Friday's thanksgiving service and Saturday's Epsom Derby.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were also absent as they celebrated the first birthday of their daughter Lilibet in private.

By contrast, Prince William and Kate Middleton were front and centre of the evening, and their spotlight reflected upon their two oldest children - Princess Charlotte and Prince George - who were seen waving Union Jack flags along to the song We Are The Champions as they sat in the Royal Box.

Prince William later took to the stage tothe platinum jubilee concert as full of "optimism and joy" as he praised the queen for her "hope" in the future of the planet.

The Duke of Cambridge paid tribute to the positive outlook of his grandmother during a segment dedicated to the environment featuring Sir David Attenborough.

The duke echoed the queen's speech to the Cop26 UN Climate Change summit, when she said working together in a "common cause" always gave rise to hope.

Prince William said he was an optimist but that the need to protect the planet had "never been more urgent" - a timely exhortation given carbon dioxide emissions have risen to levels not seen in four million years.

Prince Charles is a keen environmentalist also but chose to focus his own speech solely on his "mummy".

Addressing her directly, he said "you laugh and cry with us and, most importantly, you have been there for us..."

"The scale of this evening's celebration - and the outpouring of warmth and affection over this whole jubilee weekend - is our way of saying thank you - from your family, the country, the Commonwealth, in fact the whole world.

"On behalf of us all, I wanted to pay my own tribute to your lifetime of selfless service.

"Your family now spans four generations. You are our head of state. And you are also our mother."

The Party at the Palace concert, held outside Buckingham Palace, featured performances from Duran Duran, Craig David, Alicia Keys, Sir Rod Stewart, Sir Elton John and Diana Ross, to name but a few of the stellar acts on show.

A host of stars and world figures also paid tribute to the queen in pre-recorded messages with Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney, 79, telling the monarch: "I love you like many other people, so congratulations and thank you for 70 beautiful years."

Former US First Lady Michelle Obama, who with her husband former President Barack Obama developed a friendship with queen, praised her for the kindness she had shown her family.

"I feel deeply honoured to have spent time with you over the years. Thank you Ma'am, for your remarkable example," she said.

James Bond star Daniel Craig said: "Your Majesty, thank you for your continued presence in our lives, for your leadership, and for your unwavering grace and poise."

The actor, 54, also referenced the memorable sketch from the London 2012 Olympic Games where it appeared Craig had jumped out of a helicopter with the Queen.

Recalling the moment, he added: "I will follow you anywhere Ma'am, out of any helicopter door."