Christopher Robin Milne was born August 21, 1920 in Chelsea. He was A.A. Milne's inspiration for the stories 'Winnie the Pooh', what furthered the inspiration was Christopher's teddies as they inspired each of the characters. In keeping with Middle Class English tradition in the 1920's, Christopher Robin was brought up by a Nanny who looked after him most of the day. He was taken formally downstairs three times a day to visit his parents. Small, shy and humble, Christopher Milne was clever with his hands. He loved sewing, knitting and making tapestry pictures. He dismantled clocks and locks, rigged up burglar alarms, and even turned a toy pistol into a dangerous weapon.
Christopher was sent to boarding school at Stowe. From Stowe he won a scholarship to read English at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1939. However, he did not return to university after his first year and instead spent some time with the Cotchford Local Defence Volunteers. Later that year, Christopher joined the Corps of Royal Engineer. He served in the Middle East and Italy for five years during World War II.
By making him a household name in millions of homes throughout the world, A. A. Milne had "filched from me my good name and had left me with nothing but the empty fame of being his son". He moved to the village of Stoke Fleming and set up a bookshop in nearby Dartmouth. For twenty years he ran the shop together with his wife, Lesley de Selincourt, a cousin whom he had married in 1949.
Christopher gained unwanted attention because of the fame the books brought - he was constantly pestered by customers to shake hands with the 'original Christopher Robin'. He allowed this for a fee of £10 which he donated to Save the Children fund, he even signed a book. He later took advantage of his fame by fronting a campaign to save Ashdown Forest from the ravages of oil prospectors. The area was not only the home of Owl and Rabbit, he said, but one of the few areas with outstanding natural beauty.
Christopher battled bravely for some years with myasthenia gravis, a neurological disease, and passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 20th, 1996. His life was celebrated in a small Quaker gathering of family and friends.