Winnie-the-Pooh Is Staying in New York — British Embassy Quashes Return Rumours
The British Embassy has firmly denied reports of a campaign to repatriate the original Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed toy from the New York Public Library, where the bear has lived since 1987.
The original Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed toy, housed at the New York Public Library's Schwarzman Building since 1987, is not going anywhere — so says the British Embassy in Washington. The embassy issued a statement on October 22 calling reports of a repatriation campaign "unfounded," and added warmly that there is "an open invite if Pooh ever wants to make a temporary visit" to the UK. The story gained fresh momentum after The Washington Post reported that author Gyles Brandreth had travelled to New York in 2024 as an emissary for Queen Camilla, hoping to arrange a temporary loan of the bear to Buckingham Palace to mark the 100th anniversary of A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Library officials refused, citing the toy's fragility and its popularity as a major public attraction. Queen Camilla herself visited the NYPL in April, presenting the library with a Roo doll and reading the classic story to children, but has not publicly called for the bear's return. Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman declared the beloved stuffed animals belong to New Yorkers and are "staying put," calling Pooh "a New Yorker." The library is celebrating the centenary with a free Treasures exhibition where visitors can see the collection up close.
