Royals get handed a lot of strange things. Some arrive as private wedding presents, some as diplomatic gestures, and a few arrive alive. There's more to these stories than the handover. In Britain, official gifts from heads of state or official engagements, except perishables, enter the Royal Collection or are held in trust for the nation. A familiar royal 'gift' might even turn out to be a naming honour or a misidentified artwork.
A Wedding Yacht for Grace and Rainier
One of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier's wedding presents was a yacht. Quasar Expeditions, which operates it under the name Grace, dates Aristotle Onassis's gift to January 1956, ahead of the couple's wedding. Its history says the vessel was presented to the principality of Monaco. Rainier had it refurbished, and the couple later used it for a honeymoon cruise along Corsica and Sardinia. It was called Arion when Onassis gave it.
Margaret’s Ten Acres on Mustique
When Princess Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, Colin Tennant, later Lord Glenconner, gave her ten acres on Mustique. The wedding present was a plot on the Caribbean island, where she would build Les Jolies Eaux. Oliver Messel designed the holiday home with pavilions and a pool, drawing on his experience as a theatre designer. Its airy layout became part of the architectural style that other houses on Mustique would follow.
A Wedding Present Written for the Choir
William and Catherine's wedding present from Westminster Abbey was written to be sung at their service. The Abbey commissioned John Rutter to compose This is the day which the Lord hath made. Its first performance came on 29 April 2011, when the choirs of Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal sang it at the wedding. Rutter's catalogue identifies the Psalms as the source of the anthem's words.
A Grasshopper That Holds Drinks
In 1972, French President Georges Pompidou gave Prince Philip a grasshopper. A very large one, made of Sèvres porcelain, steel and polished brass, and built as a wine cooler. It’s a Sauterelle by the French sculptor François-Xavier Lalanne, who made two of them. The wings swing open to form a bar top, and the body hides storage for bottles. Royal Collection Trust included the piece in its 2021 Windsor Castle display marking Philip’s life.
George’s Mini Amphibious Craft
After a ride in a full-size Sealegs amphibious craft in Auckland, New Zealand, William and Catherine received a smaller version for George. Sealegs' announcement dates the outing to 11 April 2014, when he was still eight months old. The Mini Sealegs was a toy measuring 2.6 by 1.6 metres and weighing 40 kilograms. Its wheels could be raised or lowered, and an attentive parent could tow it.
A Packet Labelled Fairy Dust
A packet described as fairy dust appeared among the gifts Charles received in New Zealand in 2015, when he was Prince of Wales. The Yorkshire Post included it in its 13 January 2016 report on the Palace's official gift list. Baby booties and a wooden rattle were also reported among presents for his grandchildren. The report doesn't tell us what was inside the packet or where it went next.
The Gold Toilet Was an Artwork
Maurizio Cattelan's America was a functioning 18-carat gold toilet installed for a 2019 exhibition at Blenheim Palace. It wasn't a gift to Britain's royal family: Blenheim is associated with the Dukes of Marlborough, not a royal residence. The artwork was stolen on 14 September 2019. In an announcement dated 18 March 2025, the Crown Prosecution Service said three men had been convicted in connection with the theft and sale of the gold.
A Fragment of the Berlin Wall
During her October 1992 state visit to Germany, Elizabeth II received a piece of the Berlin Wall directly from a member of the public. The British Embassy included the encounter in its official press kit for her 2015 state visit, recounting how someone pressed the fragment into her hand in eastern Berlin. The earlier visit came after border crossings opened in 1989 and German reunification followed in 1990.
Why Dolphins Appear in Royal Lore
Dolphins weren’t a gift to Elizabeth II or a private collection; they’re tied to a historic Crown prerogative. Per HM Coastguard, the Receiver of Wreck handles reports of dead or stranded whales, dolphins, porpoises, and sturgeon in England and Wales under the Prerogative for Fishes Royal. Scotland’s government separately administers Royal Fish on its shores, specifically stranded whales over 25 feet. A live stranding is an animal-welfare emergency with official reporting guidance, not delivery of a royal pet.
A Ceremonial Sword from Kiribati
Sharks' teeth formed part of a ceremonial sword presented to Elizabeth II by Kiribati in 1982. Associated Press identified the gift in its March 2002 report on a Buckingham Palace exhibition of presents from Commonwealth countries. The sword was shown in the Palace's picture gallery among gifts that had entered the Royal Collection. It was held for the nation, rather than belonging to the Queen as a private possession.
A Shepherd’s Hut at Highgrove
During a July 2015 visit to Highgrove, Sky's Rhiannon Mills reported being shown a shepherd's hut in the wildflower meadow, given to Charles to mark George's birthday. Euronews identified the maker, Plankbridge, as the donor in its 29 July report. The company was thanking Charles for support through a Prince's Trust business loan. The hut was furnished with a daybed and a stove, according to that contemporary account.
An Elephant Called Jumbo
Cameroon's president presented Elizabeth II with an elephant called Jumbo in 1972, according to ABC News's January 2013 account. The name can be confusing: this wasn't the Victorian Jumbo who arrived at London Zoo in 1865. ZSL's history explains that exotic animals presented to the royal family were housed at the zoo, where staff had the expertise to care for them. Receiving a royal gift didn't mean keeping it at a palace.
Two Silver Kiwis for Margaret
New Zealand's government and people gave Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones two silver kiwis for their 1960 wedding. Christie's catalogue identifies Professor John Simpson as their designer and maker. One bird is shown with a worm, the other with an egg; each stands on greenstone. Design changes delayed the gift, so High Commissioner Thomas Macdonald presented it in London on 12 December 1961, more than a year after the wedding.
A Māori Waka in Miniature
Te Arawa presented a model Māori war canoe to the future George V and Queen Mary at Rotorua in 1901. The couple were then the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. The Royal Collection dates Tene Waitere's waka taua to 1900–01 and describes scrolling carving and a human likeness on the prow. The gift belonged to an earlier royal tour, not Elizabeth II's reign. It returned to Rotorua for an exhibition in 2011.
An Antarctic Naming Honour
On 18 December 2012, the UK Foreign Secretary announced that part of the British Antarctic Territory would be called Queen Elizabeth Land in Elizabeth II's honour. The announcement gave its area as 437,000 square kilometres. This was a naming honour, not the transfer of a private estate to the Queen. Queen Elizabeth Land is distinct from Princess Elizabeth Land, named by Douglas Mawson in 1931.
The Wedding Gift That Went to Charity
William and Catherine asked people considering a wedding present to think about a charitable donation instead. The Royal Household announced their wedding charitable gift fund on 16 March 2011. By 21 June, its report put the total at £1,058,367 for 26 charities chosen by the couple. The money was distributed through the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry, turning contributions made for the wedding into funding for those organisations.
A Surfboard for a Baby
George was still a baby when Manly Council commissioned a surfboard for him. The mayor presented it to William and Catherine during their April 2014 visit to Manly, according to the council's July agenda. SBS's 12 June 2014 report identifies Greg Bennett as the maker. The council later proposed commissioning a replica for public display, but that motion records a plan, not confirmation that a second board was made.
Sugar Sculptures at a Royal Banquet
Henri III's July 1574 visit to Venice included sugar sculptures as part of the city's diplomatic hospitality. Scholar Evelyn Korsch examined contemporary accounts and payment records of the visit, including a payment to Pietro Vincentino for 39 gilded sugar figures. A separate University of Nottingham thesis describes hundreds of sugar sculptures at the Arsenale reception. The 39 figures in that payment record shouldn't be mistaken for a count of the entire display.
The Moon Sample That Went to Britain
Britain received four grains of Apollo 11 lunar dust from President Nixon in 1970. Palace correspondence had anticipated that Elizabeth II might receive a sample, but the Natural History Museum's archival history identifies Prime Minister Harold Wilson as the actual recipient. A separate gift in 1973 came from Apollo 17: a thumbnail-sized rock on a plaque with a Union Flag that had flown on the mission. That later gift entered the museum's collection.
Sloths, with a Home at the Zoo
Sloths and jaguars were among the animals Brazil presented to Elizabeth II. Time included them in its January 2015 report on royal gifts, explaining that exotic animals were cared for at London Zoo. ZSL's own account of its relationship with the royal family describes the specialist zoo care provided for such gifts. Receiving these animals as royal presents didn't mean keeping them at home: their care became the zoo's responsibility.
Team Canada Jerseys in Yellowknife
William and Catherine received personalised Team Canada jerseys at a ball-hockey event in Yellowknife on 5 July 2011, during their visit to Canada's Northwest Territories. Nathan Denette photographed the presentation for the Canadian Press. FemaleFirst's report the following day described the official jerseys and recorded how the couple joined in with the game. William tried a wrist shot, while Catherine dropped the ball to get play started again.
A Flag Badge That Went into Space
Tim Peake gave Elizabeth II a Union Flag badge from the spacesuit he wore on his 15 January 2016 spacewalk. According to reporting published in January 2018, he presented it during an April 2017 visit to Windsor. The badge also appeared in the 2017 Royal Gifts exhibition. Curator Sally Goodsir confirmed its place in the show in an interview that year, describing a badge worn in space among the Queen's gifts.
An Invitation in a Gilded Box
Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh received an invitation to a Thai state banquet in a gilded metal box. The Royal Collection catalogue identifies both the container and the invitation. Marie Claire's 2018 description dates it to the 1972 state visit. A 2022 condolence letter from Thailand's parliament also records that visit, along with another in 1996. The catalogue specifies gilded metal, so this shouldn't be described as a box of solid gold.
Ingredients for the 1947 Wedding Cake
Princess Elizabeth accepted an offer from the Australian Guides to help supply ingredients for her wedding cake. Their magazine Matilda recorded the gift in its September 1947 issue, reporting that seven boxes had left Melbourne aboard Stratheden on 13 August. Brownies, Guides and Rangers could all contribute to the present. The ingredients were sent ahead of her 20 November 1947 wedding to Philip Mountbatten; the Australian Bureau of Statistics also records the Guides' gift.
A Childhood Portrait with a Blue Pony
Nicole Leidenfrost's painting showed a young Princess Elizabeth on a blue pony, with her father George VI leading the animal. The artist based the stylised scene on a childhood photograph. German President Joachim Gauck presented it to Elizabeth II at Bellevue Palace in Berlin on 24 June 2015. ITV News filmed the presentation, during which the Queen commented on the pony's colour and asked about her father's likeness.
Flanders Soil and a Memorial Garden
Soil from 70 Flanders battlefields and Commonwealth war cemeteries became part of a memorial garden at Wellington Barracks in London. The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden was a gift from the Belgian people to the British people, as the government's 6 November 2014 report explains. Elizabeth II and Belgium's King Philippe attended the dedication to mark the First World War centenary. The Household Division's history of the Guards Chapel also records the garden.
