Queen Camilla visited the Hundred Acre Woods on Tuesday—or rather, Ashdown Forest, the landscape that inspired A.A. Milne’s setting for his beloved Winnie the Pooh series of children’s novels.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Winnie the Pooh story published, Queen Camilla joined staff, authors, and children in East Sussex for a series of engagements near the home Milne and his family occupied when he wrote the books.
Queen Camilla opened the Queen’s Walk all-weather trail to commemorate the centenary, and indulged in a game of pooh-sticks, where players drop twigs from one side of a bridge into the water below and race to the other side of the bridge to see who’s twig is winning.
Queen Camilla played against three young people who won a Winnie the Pooh-themed poetry competition.
In a speech, Queen Camilla said of the beloved Pooh Bear that he is a “universal hero, people love him and his friends all over the world. They’ll come pouring in to see this new trail. A lovely experience for all, and especially children.”
In April, Queen Camilla traveled to the United States with a stuffed animal to complete the collection of original Winnie the Pooh stuffies at the New York Public Library.
The Library is home to the original Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet, Rabbit and Kanga stuffed animals that Milne’s son played with in the 1920s; a missing Roo was specially commissioned by The Queen to complete the set, and was presented during the royal couple’s visit to New York.
Queen Camilla also took the time to read from Winnie the Pooh during her visit to the New York Public Library.
On Tuesday, Queen Camilla paid her visit to Ashdown Forest in her role as patron of the Royal Literary Fund, her first engagement since becoming its patron. For nearly 240 years, the Fund has supported authors with financial gifts so they can continue writing.
Queen Camilla became patron in 2024, succeeding after her mother-in-law, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
