What does one give to the Queen who has everything? The answer can be found at this year’s Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, where a plethora of treasures Queen Elizabeth II received on her state visits is now on display.
The mementoes cover the Queen’s trips to locations all over the world over the last five decades. Some examples of exotic local craftsmanship include an item from Thailand - a teak elephant from King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit received in 1960 - and a present from the Bahamas, where the People of Central Anros presented the Queen with a plaque of shells in 1995.
The gifts, ranging from the ingenious to the bizarre, include a giant grasshopper shaped wine cooler designed by artist Xavier Lalanne, given to the Queen by the president of France and a colourful foot-long tin model of a Pakistani bus, presented to Her Majesty in 1997 by the country’s High Commission Drivers.
A number of the souvenirs are as precious and ornate as some of the Queen’s own jewels, such as a Sixties-era set of gold nuptial necklaces and bracelets from the Governor of Eritrea and a silver betel nut container, collected in Malaysia a dozen years ago.
The State Gifts exhibition at the State Apartments at Buckingham Palace opened on August 5, and runs through September 29.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
