Queen Camilla marks Pooh centenary by opening new Sussex trail

Queen Camilla has celebrated the centenary of A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books by opening a new walking trail in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex. Arriving in a black Range Rover and a green leaf-patterned dress, the Queen visited the woodland that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood. It was her first engagement as patron of the Royal Literary Fund.

The visit centred on Poohsticks Bridge, where the Queen played the famous twig-dropping game alongside children's authors. She was joined by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler and Jane Riordan, the official writer of Winnie-the-Pooh sequels.

"They'll come pouring in to see this new trail. A lovely experience for all, and especially children," the Queen said of the newly unveiled Queen's Walk. Her prediction of an influx of visitors points to a likely boost for local tourism in the region. The trail is located at a memorial site dedicated to Milne and original illustrator E.H. Shepard.

"Winnie-the-Pooh is a universal hero, people love him and his friends all over the world," the Queen noted, adding that it was "very nice to be back in Sussex". She revealed she spent "a lot of time as a child" playing poohsticks. The books were first published in 1926, with Milne drawing inspiration from walks through the forest with his son, Christopher Robin.

The royal party also included Esme Coulter, 17, who came joint third in the poohsticks match after winning a poetry competition. "It's been amazing, definitely not something I ever would have expected from winning a poetry competition," Coulter said.

Donaldson noted she had visited Ashdown Forest before but could not play the game because the waterway was blocked. Despite the Queen peering over the bridge's edge and declaring "Mine's still going strong", she did not win the race. The Queen also met local children and Ashdown Forest staff and volunteers at the site, known as The Enchanted Place, where Christopher Robin says goodbye to the animals in the books.