The United States is once again at war with Great Britain — this time over a 105-year-old Winnie-the-Pooh teddy bear.
“Winnie-the-Pooh belongs to New Yorkers and won’t be leaving anytime soon,” Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said in a statement.
The feud was apparently sparked when Queen Camilla requested that the stuffed animal, which is currently housed at the New York Public Library, take a trip across the pond to attend festivities being held to celebrate the beloved children’s book’s centennial anniversary. The toy originally belonged to Christopher Robin Milne, son of English author A.A. Milne, who used their connection as inspiration when writing “Winnie-the-Pooh,” which was first published in October 1926.
Queen Camilla reads Winnie-the-Pooh to children during a literary engagement at New York Public Library on day three of the State Visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the United States of America, on April 29, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
According to the Washington Post, the Queen said they would provide Winnie lodgings at the royal family’s castles, an offer also extended to his pals, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga and Tigger. But New Yorkers are none too keen to send the bear to Britain, where they have been celebrating the book’s birthday with commemorative stamps and a newly approved sequel.
The WInnie-the-Pooh story characters are displayed at the main branch of the New York Public Library, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
“The UK Government, through Queen Camilla herself, has requested the return of the original Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animal, along with his friends Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga, and Tigger to Great Britain,” Hoylman-Sigal said.
“The New York Public Library was gifted these original dolls in 1987 for permanent exhibition, where they have been looked after with exceptional love and conservation,” he continued. “Over one million tourists and tens of thousands of New York City schoolchildren visit Winnie-the-Pooh every single year, where they are inspired to read by their presence.”
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal is pictured on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in New York City. (Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News)
Hoylman-Sigal also shared a post online featuring a photo of the stuffed animal, taunting the Brits to “come and take it.”
The New York Public Library has also been celebrating Winnie’s milestone anniversary in recent weeks. It has put up a “Silly Old Bear” display, which “offers a unique glimpse into the history” of the beloved character, and even hosted a birthday party for him this month.