Queen Camilla marks 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh with visit to woodland that inspired classic

7 Jul 2026 • 8:35 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Queen Camilla marks 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh with visit to woodland that inspired classic

The Queen has visited Ashdown Forest, the inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood, to mark a century since the beloved children's books were first published.

On her inaugural visit as patron of the Royal Literary Fund, Camilla arrived in East Sussex on Tuesday. She commemorated the 1926 debut of Winnie-the-Pooh, met children's authors, and unveiled the new 'Queen's Walk' all-weather trail.

Arriving at the forest on Tuesday morning in a black Range Rover, she was dressed in a green leaf patterned dress.

The picturesque woodland, close to author AA Milne's former home, provided the magical setting for his tales, inspired by walks with his son, Christopher Robin.

Copies of a new Winnie-the-Pooh book entitled 'Return To The Hundred Acre Wood.’ (AFP/Getty)

The Queen will visit “Poohsticks Bridge” where the pair played “pooh sticks” and will try her hand at the game with three winners of a Winnie-the-Pooh themed poetry competition organised by Ashdown Forest, with the Royal Literary Fund (RLF).

The RLF is the world’s oldest literary charity which helps professional writers in financial difficulty.

Since 1972, £91 million has been generated from Milne’s estate towards the charity to contribute to authors’ grants, education and outreach programmes.

The rights of Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh books were left to his family, the RLF and other organisations.

Among those set to meet the Queen include the author and illustrator of The Gruffalo Dame Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, an author of the official Winnie-the-Pooh sequels Jane Riordan.

Meanwhile, Camilla will pay tribute at a memorial to Milne and Winnie-the-Pooh original illustrator EH Shepard located at “The Enchanted Place” where Christopher Robin says goodbye to the animals in the books.

There, she will meet local schoolchildren and volunteers at Ashdown Forest, before opening the Queen’s Walk in a bid to make it easier for future generations to visit the forest.

Read More

Prince Harry's UK trip sparks media buzz over whether Meghan and kids will join him

King Charles and Queen Camilla hire videographer to produce ‘on-trend’ content

King to start traditional game of hand ba’ during Jedburgh visit

Newswav Malaysia Best News App

Newswav is an online content aggregator and obtains its content from different online sources. The content in the app do not belong to Newswav nor do they reflect the opinions of Newswav and its staff. Your use of this app indicates your understanding and acceptance of this information.

Newswav Sdn. Bhd. (201701008480 (1222645-M)) 2026 All Rights Reserved