Royals grin and bear it to give Paddington big boost

London - Paddington, the affable clumsy bear from British children's books, has transformed into an international sensation over the past decade, thanks to a clever film strategy, with the help of the royal family.

Visitors to London's train stations and airports are never far from a flood of Paddington soft toys, replete with his signature red hat and blue duffle coat, displayed alongside souvenir staples.

Paddington bear toys have become a "must" with 27 million units sold since 2021, according to StudioCanal, the French film distributor that owns the rights to the character.

One family on holiday to London from Sardinia made a detour to Paddington Station - where the character gets its name - just to take a photo with a bronze statue of the bear.

"It's one of the attractions we wanted to see, just like Big Ben or Tower Bridge," said Carlo Piga, whose daughter is a fan of the films.