Queen Camilla’s royal wish faces an uncertain wait, with no visit in sight
Winnie the Pooh has a standing invitation to Buckingham Palace, but his New York guardians are rather difficult to persuade.
The Washington Post reported earlier this month that the Queen was hoping to secure a temporary return of the original toys that inspired A.A. Milne’s beloved children’s books, ahead of their centenary.
The collection, which includes Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga and Roo, has been housed at the New York Public Library since 1987, where it remains a major attraction for generations of young readers.
According to the report, author and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, a friend of Milne’s son Christopher Robin, had approached the library two years ago in an effort to arrange a visit to Britain.
The request was reportedly declined, with the toys’ age and their popularity among visitors among the reasons.
Brandreth told the Post that King Charles and Queen had extended an open invitation to the characters to visit one of their royal residences, although he admitted he could not see the arrangement happening in the immediate future.
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In a post on X, he shared an image of the original Pooh bear bearing the defiant message “COME AND TAKE IT.”
On Thursday, it clarified that reports of a British campaign to reclaim the toys were unfounded, insisting that Pooh and his companions were in excellent hands across the Atlantic.
“It’s great to have Pooh and friends in New York (reunited with Roo at last, thanks to Her Majesty), making new friends and inspiring thousands of children each year,” the embassy said.
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The statement also pointed to Camilla’s own warm relationship with the library.
During a visit earlier this year, the Queen presented a replica of Roo, the smallest member of the Hundred Acre Wood gang, helping to reunite the collection with a character that had long been missing.
The embassy said there was still an offer for Pooh and his friends to make a temporary visit to the UK.
The New York Public Library declared there would be no “re-Pooh-triation.”
