Christopher Robin Milne

Christopher Robin Milne was the only child of the famous author A. A. Milne, who created the Winnie-the-Pooh stories based on his son's childhood adventures with his stuffed animals. Christopher Robin was born on 21 August 1920 in Chelsea, London, and was nicknamed Billy Moon by his parents. He was mostly raised by his nanny, Olive Rand, who took care of him until he went to boarding school at the age of nine. He had a close bond with his father, who often played with him and wrote stories and poems for him. He also enjoyed visiting his father's country home in Sussex, where he explored the nearby woods with his teddy bear Edward, who became the inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh. Christopher Robin became famous as a child when his father published the books Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928), which featured him as the main character along with his animal friends. He also appeared in his father's poetry collections When We Were Very Young (1924) and Now We Are Six (1927). The books were illustrated by E. H. Shepard, who based his drawings on Christopher Robin's real toys, which are now on display at the New York Public Library. The books were very popular and made Christopher Robin a celebrity, but he also faced teasing and bullying from his schoolmates, who mocked him for being associated with childish stories. He later said that he felt his father had exploited his childhood and taken away his privacy. As he grew older, Christopher Robin tried to distance himself from his fictional alter ego and pursue his own interests. He studied English literature at Trinity College, Cambridge, and served in the British Army during World War II, where he was wounded in Italy. After the war, he married his cousin Lesley de Sélincourt in 1948 and opened a bookshop in Dartmouth, Devon, where he sold rare and second-hand books. He also wrote several books of his own, including three memoirs: The Enchanted Places (1974), The Path Through the Trees (1979), and The Hollow on the Hill (1982), in which he reflected on his life and relationship with his father. He also wrote two novels: The Red House Mystery (1980) and Chloe Marr (1981). Christopher Robin had one daughter, Clare Milne, who was born with cerebral palsy in 1956. He devoted much of his time and money to caring for her and supporting various charities for disabled children. He also reconciled with his mother, Daphne, who had been estranged from him for many years after his father's death in 1956. He remained close to her until she died in 1971 at the age of 95. Christopher Robin lived with myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease that causes muscle weakness, for several years before he died in his sleep on 20 April 1996 at a hospital in Totnes, Devon, aged 75. He was cremated and the location of his ashes is unknown¹¹. He was described by one newspaper as a "dedicated atheist"⁴. Christopher Robin Milne was a complex and sensitive man who struggled with fame and identity throughout his life. He resented being overshadowed by his father's creation, but also acknowledged its enduring charm and appeal. He once said: "It seemed to me almost that my father had got where he was by climbing on my infant shoulders, that he had filched from me my good name and left me nothing but empty fame."¹ He also said: "Pooh and I had a long and happy friendship, and I don't regret it for a moment."