Former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron both made attempts—at different times—to bring back from the United States the teddy bear that inspired A. A. Milne to write his books about Winnie-the-Pooh, reports The Washington Post (WP).
Despite the efforts of these British politicians, the stuffed toy remains at the New York Public Library. Also kept in New York are the original plush versions of Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, and Kanga—toys that once belonged to Milne’s son, Christopher Robin. The publication notes that the question of returning them to the United Kingdom has been discussed repeatedly by both British and American officials.
As early as 1998, British members of parliament pushed for Winnie-the-Pooh’s return to his homeland, but the idea was met with objections in New York.
This year—marking the centenary of the publication of the first book about the bear, which was released on October 14, 1926—the British have raised the issue once again; however, the New York Public Library has no intention of returning the toys.
Milne conceived of Winnie-the-Pooh while telling stories to his son, Christopher Robin. One of his primary inspirations was a teddy bear given to the boy for his first birthday in 1921. In 1947, with the consent of his son—who was by then an adult—Milne sent the toys to an American publisher for a promotional tour. In 1987, that publisher donated the collection to the New York Public Library.
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