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It turns out Winnie-the-Pooh and his fluffy friends aren’t getting bear-napped from their longtime home at the New York Public Library.<\/p>\n
The British Embassy in Washington dispelled rumors Thursday about a campaign to return the collection of stuffed animals including the \u201cwilly nilly silly old bear” to the United Kingdom. The toys were owned by English author A.A. Milne’s son \u2014 the real-life Christopher Robin \u2014 in the 1920s and served as the inspiration for the characters in the writer’s beloved children\u2019s books.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s an open invite if Pooh ever wants to make a temporary visit to the UK, but we have no doubt that Pooh and his pals are in excellent hands with the New York Public Library,” the embassy said in a post on social media.<\/p>\n
Rumors began swirling about a change of scenery for Pooh after The Washington Post<\/a> reported last week about a push to bring the teddy bear back home as the famed character turns 100 this year.<\/p>\n Milne bought Pooh for his son’s first birthday in 1921 from Harrods department store in London. Decades later, the collection of dolls came to the U.S. for a national tour before publisher Dutton Children\u2019s Books donated them to the library in 1987.<\/p>\n When asked about the British Embassy\u2019s statement, Melissa Grace, director of communications at the library, said they\u2019re excited to celebrate Winnie-the-Pooh\u2019s anniversary and invite the public to their exhibit for free.<\/p>\n \u201cChristopher Robin\u2019s childhood toys are a cornerstone of our renowned children\u2019s literature collection,\u201d she said in a statement, adding that the library has plenty planned for the anniversary, including giving away 3,000 copies of the books.<\/p>\n Last week’s Post story reported that Gyles Brandreth, an author and friend of the late Christopher Robin Milne, went to New York two years ago for Queen Camilla<\/a> to try to bring Pooh to Buckingham Palace. But, he said, the library wasn’t interested.<\/p>\n