A glorious original illustration by Shepard published in Punch magazine to coincide with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953.

Eeyore, Owl, Toad, Mole, Ratty, Piglet, Badger, and Winnie-the-Pooh preparing for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953

This unique drawing includes much-loved characters from both A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh and Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. From the left we see Eeyore holding a banner for the month of May, as Owl wearing a mortarboard looks towards a procession of mice waving Union Jacks. In the centre Toad looks resplendent in his coronation robes and coronet as he admires himself in a mirror, whilst Ratty helps Mole with his robes and Piglet studiously reads a copy of Debrett's. On the right we see Badger adjusting his robes while Pooh looks into a mirror as he raises a coronet to his head.

Pooh raising a crown to his head.

Winnie the Pooh, created in the same year that Elizabeth II was born, held a special place in the young Queen’s heart. She had a Christopher Robin tea-set, and Milne’s collects ion of songs Teddy Bear and Other Songs was dedicated to her.


Piglet consulting Debrett’s.

Shepard contributed his first Punch cartoon in 1907 which began many years of partnership. This illustration appears to be unrecorded by Shepard's biographers. Punch was founded on 17 July 1841 by Henry Mayhew and wood-engraver Ebenezer Landells. It was subtitled The London Charivari in homage to Charles Philipon's French satirical humour magazine Le Charivari.