The Royal Literary Fund – the world’s oldest literary charity – hosted Her Majesty The Queen for her first official engagement as their Patron, in a special visit to Ashdown Forest to mark the 100th Anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh.
Taking place during the National Year of Reading and in the forest that inspired The Hundred Acre Wood, the day of celebration saw Her Majesty visit ‘Poohsticks Bridge’, where Winnie-the-Pooh author A.A. Milne played with his son, Christopher Robin, for a special game of ‘pooh sticks’ with children’s authors Dame Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler, Cerrie Burnell, Jane Riordan, RLF Fellow, Sita Brahmachari and winners of the Ashdown Forest poetry competition.
Sticks from Buckingham Palace gardens were used for the game which was umpired by RLF Chief Executive, Edward Kemp with rules read by broadcaster and author, Gyles Brandreth.
Her Majesty also visited the A.A Milne & illustrator E.H Shepard, Gills Lap Memorial which marks the place where Christopher Robin said goodbye to Pooh at the end of the stories.
There she met staff and volunteers from Ashdown Forest and children from Ashdown Primary School. Pupils presented The Queen with gifts of local flowers from Plaw Hatch Farm.
After unveiling an all-weather trail named the ‘Queen’s Walk’ that will enable easier access to Ashdown Forest for future generations, The Queen’s visit ended with a slice of cake baked by the Forest Centre’s resident cake baker Karen Bowles and a closing address taken from Winnie-the-Pooh read by Gyles Brandreth.
The Royal Literary Fund is grateful to the legacy of A. A. Milne after rights to his books were left to the charity, alongside his family and other organisations, after his death. Since 1972, £91 million has been generated from his estate, which has contributed to RLF grants for writers experiencing hardship and a host of education and outreach programmes.
Edward Kemp, Chief Executive of the Royal Literary Fund said of the day:
‘There could be no more fitting occasion for Her Majesty The Queen’s first official engagement as Patron of the Royal Literary Fund than a celebration of A.A. Milne’s enduring literary legacy. During the centenary of Winnie-the-Pooh, it is especially meaningful to gather in the landscape that inspired these timeless stories and to honour a writer whose remarkable bequest has enabled future generations of writers to continue their work. We are honoured that Her Majesty is helping us celebrate that extraordinary gift and the enduring value of literature to our national life.’
Mark Pearson, Chief Executive Officer of Ashdown Forest, said it was a privilege to welcome The Queen into the Forest:
‘We are incredibly grateful to the Royal Literary Fund for inviting their patron, Her Majesty The Queen, to Ashdown Forest. It was an absolute pleasure to host The Queen and show her the many delights of this incredible place. We are thrilled that the ‘Queen’s Walk’ will soon enable a wider group of people from across the country to enjoy it. It has been a day to remember, and I hope The Queen has been impressed with what she has seen.’
