The Royal Family Received Hundreds of Gifts in 2019—Here's What They Got
Every year Buckingham Palace publishes lists of official gifts given to members of the royal family. And today details have been released of the presents received in 2019, including plenty picked up by parents and grandparents for royal children.
The records show that the Queen received gifts on almost 70 occasions, Prince Charles and Camilla were given more than 200 between them on their travels, and the Cambridges and Sussexes were gifted with multiple presents for themselves as well as George, Charlotte, Louis, and Archie on their official tours.
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex—who were then working royals—took baby Archie to South Africa last Fall, records show that he collected gifts on 17 occasions.
This included two books from Archbishop Desmond Tutu as well as presents from unnamed individuals including a pair of dungarees, a knitted sweater, a pilot's logbook and two pilot’s shirts, soft toys, and even a collection of toiletries in a joint present with his mum and dad.
During the same tour, Harry and Meghan received 64 gifts including paintings, fabric, DVDs, and a ceramic dish. On their visit to Morocco at the start of the year they were given shoes, candles, and a teapot.
While the Cambridge children didn’t travel on any official visits with their parents in 2019, they still received plenty of presents collected by Kate and William. When the couple visited Pakistan in October 2019, they were presented with cricket bats and traditional Chitrali hats for George, Charlotte and Louis. The Duke and Duchess were also given clothes, jewelry, and even a carpet and statuette for themselves on the same tour.
When William went to Oman in December he returned with hair ties for Charlotte and a book for his three children.
Prince Charles and Camilla also collected gifts for his grandchildren on their travels. When they went to Germany just after Archie’s birth in May 2019, they were given 22 presents for him including four soft toy pretzels, teddies, and clothes. During their March visit to Cuba they were presented with clothes and soft toys for the Cambridge children as well as soft toys and a baby vest for Archie before he was born.
More unusual gifts given to Prince Charles on his travels throughout the year include a pair of swimming trunks and a tie which he received in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as eight wooden eggs which he was given in New Zealand.
The personalized Air Force One jacket that President Donald Trump gave to Prince Philip during the State Visit in June is on the list, along with a first edition signed autobiography by General James Doolittle. The President’s gifts to the Queen of a leather chest, hand-crafted jewelry box, and Tiffany & Co red poppy brooch are also mentioned.
The records show that in January, the Queen received a gift by post from Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife of a pop-up book to mark the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. In February during an audience with the High Commissioner for Sierra Leone she was given a small booklet containing "Letter to my Dear Lilibet" and a video CD. (Lilibet is the Queen's childhood nickname.)
The president of the Republic of Slovenia gave her a 24 carat gold-plated horse comb in the same month, and in April she received a corn doll by post from Her Majesty’s Royal Chapel of the Mohawks in Ontario, Canada. In June she was given a painting of a swimming pig of the Bahamas during an audience with the country’s Governor General.
Official guidelines state that members of the royal family are allowed to accept gifts as long as the gift does not place them (or appear to place them) under any obligation to the donor. Guidelines discourage people from offering extravagant gifts to royals and say gifts from commercial enterprises should normally be declined.
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