2016 is a historic year for not one but two British icons, as itâs the 90th birthday of Her Majesty The Queen and the 90th anniversary of Winnie-the-Poohâs first publication and arrival in the Hundred Acre Wood.
It just so happens that A. A. Milneâs book, Teddy Bear and the Other Songs from When We Were Very Young, was dedicated to Princess Elizabeth upon her birth when it was published in 1926. Now, this new adventure is the first time the Pooh actually gets to share a story with Her Majesty in one of the Winnie-the-Pooh stories.
Disney has brought the two historic figures together in this brand new illustrated and audio adventure, Winnie-the-Pooh and the Royal Birthday. The tale features Poohâs journey from the Hundred Acre Wood to London taking in the cityâs sights and (spoiler alert) meeting The Queen herself.
Illustrations are drawn in the classic E. H. Shepard style by Mark Burgess, and the audio adventure is narrated by Oscar-winning actor Jim Broadbent. Broadbent was excited to be a part of this momentous literary event, telling the BBC, âI have been a fan of Winnie-the-Pooh since I was a boy, in fact I named my very first and much loved teddy âPoohâ and that can only have been after the A. A. Milne character. Iâve loved being part of this story to celebrate The Queenâs 90th birthday and Winnie-the-Poohâs 90th anniversary; itâs 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!â
As Christopher Robin once said, âA present should be something to treasure,â and this adorable adventure is the perfect gift for the 90th anniversary of two of Britainâs most well-known icons.
Get a sneak peek of images in the gallery below and view the illustrated book at WinnieThePooh.Disney.com and get the audio/visual version on Disneyâs YouTube channel.
What did you think of Winnie-the-Pooh and the Royal Birthday? Let us know in the comments!