The Genuine Winnie-the-Pooh Resides at the New York Public Library. During Queen Camilla’s Visit to the Bear, She Brought Him Together With a Cherished Companion
During a diplomatic trip to the United States this week, the queen of the United Kingdom made history as the inaugural British royal to visit the library while on a quest to gather the collection of toys once possessed by Christopher Robin
Winnie-the-Pooh and his companions are showcased in a display case at the New York Public Library.
N100a via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 4.0
The group of Winnie-the-Pooh’s companions has just expanded. While visiting the New York Public Library on Wednesday, the queen of the United Kingdom, Camilla, returned a long-missing companion to the bear: Roo, a baby kangaroo toy that disappeared in the 1930s.
Residing comfortably at the library are the remaining original toys that inspired A.A. Milne’s beloved tales about a bear who loves honey, his animal pals, and Christopher Robin. In 1921, Milne gifted his son, the real Christopher Robin, a stuffed bear from Harrods, with the other toys being additional presents as he grew older.
The toys—Pooh, Kanga, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger—made a journey across the United States in the 1940s before being donated to the New York Public Library in 1987. However, in the intervening years, Roo, Kanga’s young one, was lost. (The library claims the incident took place in an apple orchard during the 1930s.)
This week, on a state visit to the U.S. by the British king and queen, which also featured a speech to Congress and festivities celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S., Camilla offered a cultural gesture by bringing back a replica of Roo to join his friends. Merrythought, the oldest teddy bear manufacturer in England, crafted the new Roo.
A.A. Milne presented the original Winnie-the-Pooh bear to his son, Christopher Robin, in 1921. Bettmann / Getty Images
According to Sarah Holmes, managing director of Merrythought, “The new toy is probably looking a little smarter than the original Roo might have,” she remarked to BBC News’ Danny Pike and Chloe Hughes.
“We were fortunate to have what we believe is the original Kanga and Roo, or at least the same model, in our archives—enabling us to accurately recreate Roo,” she added.
Fun fact: Happy birthday Pooh
Milne’s collection of stories Winnie-the-Pooh will celebrate its centenary in October 2026.
Despite Milne publishing only a handful of Winnie-the-Pooh stories, they’ve given rise to a century of bedtime tales, toy reproductions, and movies. Unlike some original stories overshadowed by the Disney adaptations they inspired, such as “The Snow Queen,” which influenced the film Frozen, Pooh’s literary impact remains significant, as reported by Patrick Sauer for Smithsonian magazine in 2017.
“I grew up with the books. Milne’s words and [E.H.] Shepard’s illustrations are woven into the fabric of British life,” Simon Vaughan, who co-authored the movie Goodbye Christopher Robin, stated to Sauer.
While Pooh and his companions hold considerable significance in British literature, some suggest that the toys should be sent back to their home country. Nonetheless, Camilla’s donation seems to solidify their status at the New York Public Library.
Additionally, Camilla’s trip was part of her initiative to promote reading and literacy, with prominent figures in attendance including actress Sarah Jessica Parker, author Amor Towles, and former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, according to Sarah Lyall of the New York Times.
“We extend our gratitude on behalf of the library and our millions of visitors to Her Majesty Queen Camilla—and we welcome Roo to New York City,” declared Anthony W. Marx, president and CEO of the New York Public Library, in a statement. “Roo will aid us in sharing the wonder and enchantment of this timeless narrative with readers of all ages for generations to come.”