Author Gyles Brandreth gives a reading alongside Queen Camilla to commemorate 100 Years of Winnie-the-Pooh. Photo / Getty Images
Colebourn was sent to England during World War I before he was deployed to the Western Front. Before he left, he gave the bear to London Zoo. Then a young Christopher Robin Milne saw the black bear and decided to bestow his teddy with the same name.
The cuddly toy is a 50cm Farnell teddy bear bought from London’s famed department store, Harrods, in 1921 for Christopher Robin Milne’s first birthday.
And while many are celebrating the book’s milestone, some British supporters say it should also be an occasion to bring Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger and Kanga home.
The original toys that inspired the story have been held by the New York Public Library since the late 1980s and are displayed as part of its Treasures collection.
Efforts to secure their return have previously involved British Prime Ministers, United States Presidents and lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic, according to the Washington Post.
The current offer is being framed as an invitation for the toys to visit Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle rather than a permanent return.
Queen Camilla reads Winnie-the-Pooh to children during a literary engagement at the New York Public Library. Photo / Getty Images
According to the Washington Post, author Gyles Brandreth approached the library on behalf of Queen Camilla two years ago to seek an anniversary visit to Buckingham Palace.
The library declined, citing the fragile condition of the toys and their popularity with visitors, Brandreth said.
“It would be wonderful if it happens, but I can’t see it happening any time soon,” he told the newspaper.
The toys arrived in the United States legitimately. A.A. Milne, with his adult son’s approval, gave them to his American publisher for a promotional tour in 1947. They were donated to the New York library about 40 years later.