King Charles gave Donald Trump a present which carried quite a significance today, as the US president was welcomed to Windsor on his second state visit to the UK.
According to Buckingham Palace, the King and Queen gifted their American guest the Union Flag that was hoisted above the royal residence on the day of the president’s inauguration earlier this year, signifying their close bond. They also gave him a bespoke, hand-bound leather book specially crafted by the Royal Bindery in Windsor Castle to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.
To Mrs Trump, Charles and Camilla gifted a silver and enamel bowl featuring the Queen’s cypher crafted by Northern Irish artist Cara Murphy, a renowned silversmith who has created works for Downing Street and the Grand National. She also received a personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag.
The American couple were also gifted a silver photograph frame engraved with the royals’ joint cyphers.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump and his wife, Melania, gave the monarch a replica of a President Eisenhower Sword which, according to Buckingham Palace, symbolises “profound respect” and acts as a “reminder of the historical partnership that was critical” to winning the Second World War.
The Palace said: “The sword also symbolises the enduring values and co-operative spirit that continues to define the relationship between the United States and Great Britain.
The Queen was given a Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch.
The brooch, said to represent diplomacy, friendship, and respect, features Camilla’s birthstone – rubies – and that of Mrs Trump’s – diamonds.
The King has received several gifts from world leaders over the years.
Among them are Charles’s Coronation gifts, including a Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II motor car from the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and a leather folder containing printed letters between Queen Elizabeth II and President Eisenhower inviting him to the United Kingdom, with a photograph of the visit, from former US president Joe Biden and his wife Jill.