Queen Camilla has spoken on BBC Radio 4 to mark the 100th anniversary of the beloved children's book character Winnie-the-Pooh. The station is dedicating a special week of programming to the anniversary, and the Queen has introduced the series.
The introduction was recorded in the summer when Her Majesty visited Pooh Sticks Bridge in Ashdown Forest, the landscape that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood. Reflecting on her lifelong affection for the stories, the Queen recalls childhood games of Pooh Sticks and describes Winnie-the-Pooh as offering "kindness, wisdom" and "simplicity in a very complicated world".
Queen's childhood memories
"It's a real treat to be here at Ashdown Forest at Pooh Sticks Bridge and to be able to play several games," she said. "I think my first memory was my grandmother reading Winnie-the-Pooh. She had a stream rather like this one at the bottom of her garden with a little bridge over the top, and that's where we started playing Pooh Sticks when we were very young. And so, you know, we had the book, we had the bridge, and we had the water, so that's my very happy first memory of it."
"Winnie-the-Pooh is globally loved – as I found out when I took Roo to America, and I think he's loved by all generations, so I hope his legacy continues being loved by all generations and also by children and teaching them that the simple things in life, kindness and wisdom and all the lovely things that he achieved. It's sort of simplicity in a very complicated world we live in now."
Programming details
This week, five readings of the classic tales will air on BBC Radio 4 at 11.45am. The 15-minute readings from AA Milne's original Winnie-the-Pooh stories are read by Sir Lenny Henry, Ambika Mod, Jim Broadbent, Toby Jones, and Hayley Atwell.
The readings celebrate the enduring charm, humour and wisdom of Pooh and his companions, a century after their first publication. The special week of programming concludes on Saturday with Drama on 4: Save the Hundred Acre Wood, a new play by Edward Kemp based on the true story of the campaign to protect Ashdown Forest.
Drama and legacy
The drama explores how, despite a lifetime of distancing himself from the well-loved stories, Christopher Robin Milne became involved in efforts to preserve the landscape that inspired his father's most famous creation.
Alison Hindell, commissioner for drama and fiction at BBC Radio 4, said: "For a century, Winnie-the-Pooh has captivated readers of all ages with stories full of gentle humour and subtle wisdom. We're delighted to mark this much-loved character’s centenary on Radio 4 with new readings from an exceptional cast, alongside Edward Kemp's moving drama exploring the efforts to save Ashdown Forest, famously fictionalised by AA Milne as the Hundred Acre Wood. Together, these programmes celebrate the enduring appeal of Milne's characters and the particular landscape in which they are set."
Book lover Camilla visited Ashdown Forest in July to play Pooh Sticks and mark the centenary of AA Milne's work. "Winnie-the-Pooh is a universal hero – people love him and his friends all over the world," she said during the visit. "They'll come pouring in to see this new trail. A lovely experience for all, and especially children."
In April, the Queen reunited Winnie-the-Pooh character Roo with a collection of toys that inspired the stories. The stuffed toy joined the Queen on the flight, and she brought it to the New York Public Library to go on display with the original toys from the 1920s – Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga and Tigger – that were owned by AA Milne's son and inspired the famous book characters.
