Queen to give replacement Roo to complete US library’s Winnie-the-Pooh toy set

The Queen will give a specially made toy of Winnie-the-Pooh character Roo to the New York Public Library during the state visit to the US to complete a set of the beloved characters in one of the institution’s collections.

Camilla and the King are due to arrive in the US on Monday for a four-day visit during which they will meet Donald Trump and be guests of honour at a White House banquet.

The US president has said the state visit could go towards mending relations with the UK damaged over the Iran war.

Roo at Buckingham Palace (Royal Household/PA)

On Camilla’s itinerary is a visit to the New York Public Library, where she will view its permanent Treasures collection.

This is home to the teddy bears which belonged to Christopher Robin, son of Winnie-the-Pooh creator A A Milne, and which are believed to have inspired the stories first published a century ago in 1926.

The collection on display includes Winnie, Tigger, Piglet, Kanga and Eeyore but is missing the original baby kangaroo toy – Roo – which was lost in an apple orchard in the 1930s.

The Queen will give the library a Roo made specifically for the visit by traditional British teddy bear makers Merrythought, who produced the original toys at the start of the 20th century.

The design is based on the original illustrations.

The Roo toy, currently in Buckingham Palace, will join Camilla on the royal plane to make the transatlantic journey.