Queen Camilla is set to present a stuffed toy to a library during the royal visit to the United States, aiming to complete a cherished collection. The toy, Roo from Winnie-the-Pooh, has been specially crafted by a traditional British teddy bear maker for the New York Public Library. The Queen will deliver the gift during her visit.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are scheduled to arrive in the US on Monday for a four-day state visit. Their itinerary includes a meeting with President Donald Trump and attendance at a White House banquet in their honour. Trump has indicated that the visit could help mend the US-UK relationship, which has been strained due to tensions over the war in Iran.
As part of her engagements, Camilla will tour the New York Public Library to view its permanent Treasures collection. This collection houses the original teddy bears belonging to Christopher Robin, son of Winnie-the-Pooh author A.A. Milne. These bears are believed to have inspired the stories first published a century ago in 1926. The display currently includes Winnie, Tigger, Piglet, Kanga, and Eeyore, but has been missing the original baby kangaroo toy, Roo, which was lost in an apple orchard in the 1930s.
To fill this gap, Queen Camilla will present a specially made Roo soft toy to the library. The toy was created by Merrythought, a British teddy bear maker that produced the original toys in the early 20th century. The design is based on the original illustrations from the books. The Roo toy, currently housed at Buckingham Palace, will accompany Camilla on the royal plane for the transatlantic journey.
The build-up to the visit took an unexpected turn after a gunman targeted top Washington officials at a dinner attended by the President. Trump, who was injured in a previous assassination attempt, was swiftly evacuated by Secret Service agents along with other senior administration members. The President later described the culprit as a 'lone wolf whack job'.
UK ministers have stated that the King's security in America is being taken 'very seriously' in light of the attack. Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with President Trump to express his 'shock' and 'relief' that he was unharmed. 'Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,' Starmer posted on X. 'It is a huge relief that @POTUS, the First Lady and all those attending are safe.'
Cabinet minister Darren Jones assured that 'appropriate' measures would be in place for the monarch's state visit this week.
