WP reveals how two premiers failed to bring Winnie the Pooh back from US
The toy bear, which became the prototype of Winnie the Pooh for the British writer Milne, has been in the United States for almost 80 years. Tony Blair and David Cameron unsuccessfully tried to return him to the kingdom
Former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron in different years tried to get the teddy bear that inspired the British writer Alan Alexander Milne to create a book about Winnie the Pooh, but the toy remained in the New York Public Library. This was reported by The Washington Post (WP).
Together with the bear in New York, Milne's son Christopher Robin is kept toy Piglet, Ea-Ia, Tiger and Kenga. The question of their return to Britain has been repeatedly discussed by politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.
Winnie the Pooh Milne came up with by telling stories to his son Christopher Robin. One of the sources of inspiration was a teddy bear, presented to the boy for his first birthday in 1921. Christopher's other toys turned into Piglet, Ea-Ia, Tiger and Kengu. The first collection of stories about them was published on October 14, 1926.
The bear was bought in London's Harrods department store in 1921 for Christopher Robin's first birthday. In 1947, Milne, with the consent of his adult son, gave the toys to an American publisher for a promotional tour. In 1987, the publisher donated them to the New York Public Library.
In 1998, British Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody called on the government to raise the issue before US authorities. Blair was in Washington for talks with former President Bill Clinton. In an interview with ABC, the Prime Minister said that the issue will not be an important item on the agenda of negotiations. His spokesman later said the British government was confident in the ability of Americans to properly care for toys.
In New York, the idea of returning was met with objections. Congressman Nita Lowy introduced a resolution in support of preserving the collection in the US, and former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani came to the library and called Winnie the Pooh "an example of successful immigration." Holding the bear with his hands in white gloves, he asked, "Hey, Vinnie, do you have a green card?"
Years later, Cameron again raised the issue at a meeting with former US President Barack Obama. According to the story of British writer Giles Brandreth, who spoke with the head of the New York Library, Anthony Marks, an assistant from the Oval Office called the latter and asked if the leaders could announce at a press conference the return of the toys.
“You don't understand. I am speaking on behalf of the President of the United States, the assistant to the head of the library said. “You don't understand. I'm the president of the New York Public Library - and the answer is no, Marks replied, according to Brandret's retelling in his new Milne biography.
Brandret then went to New York as Queen Camilla's representative, hoping to negotiate a temporary transfer of the toys to Buckingham Palace. The library refused, he said, citing the age of the exhibits and the tens of thousands of visitors they attract annually.
The King and Queen offered to house Winnie the Pooh and his friends at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle if they could be brought in. “This is not a campaign. This is an invitation, Brandret stressed. The library did not respond to WP's request, and the palace declined to disclose the contents of Camilla's talks with her representatives.
In April 2026, the library announced a gift from Camilla, a new baby toy to replace the original lost by Christopher Robin in an apple orchard. During a visit to New York, the Queen gave it to the library.
