Winnie The Pooh Meets The Queen In New Story To Celebrate Pair’s 90th Birthdays

Winnie-the-Pooh is back for his most royal adventure yet as he travels to Buckingham Palace with his pals for a special meeting with the Queen.

The bear of very little brain features in the Winnie-The-Pooh And The Royal Birthday story, that was written to celebrate both his and the monarch’s 90th birthdays.

Pooh travels to Buckingham Palace with Christopher Robin, Piglet and Eeyore to deliver a special present for the Queen, who is drawn in a red coat and hat with familiar black gloves and handbag.

She is depicted listening to the honey-loving bear as he recites her a birthday “hum” or poem after a chance encounter when he spots her going for a stroll outside the Palace.

Trip: Pooh and his pals visit Buckingham Palace (PA)

Royal toddler: Prince George puts in an appearance in the story (PA)

Prince George even makes an appearance in the book - recognisable in the drawing by his blonde side-parted hair, his blue cardigan and trademark shorts.

Rather than being mentioned by name, he is described only as a little boy running behind the Queen and as “much younger than Christopher Robin and almost as bouncy as Tigger”.

George is given a red balloon by Piglet, pats him on the head and tickles Pooh’s ears.

The colourful drawings in the new tale are in the classic EH Shepard style and by illustrator Mark Burgess, who also drew the pictures for the first authorised sequel to Winnie-the-Pooh - Return To The Hundred Acre Wood - in 2009.

Oscar winner: Jim Broadbent narrates the audio version of the story (PA)

Penned by Jane Riordan, the short story sees Pooh, Piglet, Christopher Robin and Eeyore travel through London in an open top red double decker bus, visit the lion statues in Trafalgar Square, see the Palace guards, and walk hand in hand down The Mall.

A special audio version of the story is narrated by Oscar-winning actor Jim Broadbent, who said he loved being part of the new adventure.

He said: "I have been a fan of Winnie-the-Pooh since I was a boy, in fact I named my very first and much loved teddy Pooh and that can only have been after the AA Milne character.

Anniversary: The story was written to celebrate the Queen and Pooh’s 90th birthdays (PA)

"I’ve loved being part of this story to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday and Winnie-the-Pooh’s 90th anniversary; it’s been an honour to narrate such an iconic story and I want to wish both Her Majesty The Queen and Winnie-the-Pooh a very Happy 90th.”

The story marks the first time the character has met the Queen - who is apparently a big fan - in a Winnie-the-Pooh story.

The release is available free at www.Disney.co.uk/WinnieRoyalBirthday

Top pic: PA