
Rolls-Royce, Blue Peter badges and a mosaic from Zelenskyy: Buckingham Palace reveals gifts given to Royal Family
Buckingham Palace has released records of official gifts given to the Royal Family - including a Rolls-Royce for King Charles.
According to the records, which cover official gifts to most members of the Royal Family from 2020 to 2023, the monarch was given the luxury vehicle by the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II is not for personal use; instead, it's for official purposes including state occasions.
Given to the King in May 2023, it retails for $443,575 - or around £329,545.
Other gifts for the King during the month of his coronation include a feather crown, two beaded chest pieces and two carved staffs from Amazonian Indigenous leaders Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai and Atossa Soltani.
Former US president Joe Biden and then-first lady Jill Biden also gifted Charles a leather folder containing printed letters between Queen Elizabeth II and former president Dwight D Eisenhower.
In April that year, the King and Queen Camilla received two gold Blue Peter badges from Blue Peter presenters during a visit to Liverpool before the city hosted Eurovision.
And during an audience with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy in February, the King was presented with a framed mosaic, a scrolled document about St Sophia Cathedral, and a signed Ukrainian ship's flag.
Other royal gifts include Queen Elizabeth II receiving a Cedar of Lebanon tree from Pope Francis in 2022 - the year of her Platinum Jubilee.
During a visit to the Coronation Street set in Greater Manchester in 2021, she received a cobble from the original set in a presentation case, two gin glasses with Manchester skyline silhouette design and a selection of themed gifts including a book entitled 60 Years Of Coronation Street and a bottle of Coronation Street gin.
In 2020, Prince William and Catherine, then the Duchess of Cambridge, were both gifted a toiletries set from the president of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, and his wife Sabina Higgins.
Official gifts to the Royal Family can be worn and used, but are not considered the royals' personal property. The royals also do not pay tax on them.
They can eat any food they are given, and perishable official gifts with a value under £150 can be given to charity or staff.
Gifts cannot be sold or exchanged and eventually become part of the Royal Collection, which is held in trust for successors and the nation.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Reuters
22 minutes ago
- Reuters
UK factories struggle as trade uncertainty, higher costs hit, PMI shows
LONDON, June 2 (Reuters) - The downturn in British manufacturing was less steep than first feared in May but output, orders and jobs continued to drop as companies cited recent tax hikes and U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, a survey showed on Monday. The final reading of the S&P Global UK manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), a measure of activity among factories, was 46.4 in May compared to 45.4 in April. It was the highest since February but remained below the 50 threshold for growth. The provisional PMI figure for May was 45.1. While the rates of contraction across new orders, output and exports eased, survey compiler S&P Global said the environment for manufacturers was still tough. "May PMI data indicate that UK manufacturing faces major challenges, including turbulent market conditions, trade uncertainties, low client confidence and rising tax-related wage costs," Rob Dobson, director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said. May's decline in output was linked to a reduced intake of new business as demand from domestic and overseas fell. The fall in exports orders was mainly linked to weaker demand from the U.S. and Europe. The survey showed 49% of manufacturers expected to see output increase over the coming year, slightly above 44% in April. Manufacturing firms cut employment at the fastest pace in three months in response to uncertain economic outlook - plus a rise in employers' social security contributions and 6.7% increase in the minimum wage that came into force in April. But there were signs that the worst of the inflation surge may have passed, S&P said, as the pace of increases in input costs and selling prices slowed.


The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Pope Leo blesses cyclists competing in the Giro d'Italia
Pope Leo imparted his blessing to more than 150 cyclists participating in the Giro d'Italia on Sunday, as the final stage of the three-week race commenced with an unprecedented route through the Vatican gardens, behind St. Peter's Basilica. Upon entering Vatican City, overall race leader Simon Yates and other classification leaders dismounted to greet the Pope, presenting him with a replica of the leader's pink jersey. "You are role models for young people all over the world," Leo told the peloton. "May God bless all of you on this last part of the Giro d'Italia. Congratulations to all of you. 'May you know that you are always welcome here in the Vatican. You are always welcome by the church, which represents God's love for all people." In an unscripted moment, Nairo Quintana of Colombia, the 2014 Giro champion, paused to greet the Pope after the other riders had moved on. While popes have blessed the Giro riders before and the race has previously passed through or next to St. Peter's Square, this marked the first time that the route took the peloton on a three-kilometre (nearly two-mile) route inside the Vatican walls. Bringing the race inside the Vatican was originally intended as an homage to Pope Francis during the 2025 Holy Year but after Francis died, Leo, the first American pope, decided to honour the event in Francis' memory. The cyclists entered the Vatican through the Petriano gate to the left of St. Peter's, rode around the basilica and then climbed up toward the gardens before exiting near the Santa Marta hotel at the Perugino gate. Santa Marta was where Francis lived. The passage through the Vatican occurred during the non-competitive neutralised period before the stage. The official start was given after the riders exited the narrow Perugino gate. British rider Yates could cruise to the title with an advantage of nearly four minutes over Isaac Del Toro of Mexico. The 143-kilometre (89-mile) final stage concluded with a circuit of eight laps through downtown Rome and finished next to the Circus Maximus. It is the third time since Leo was elected that he has met with the sports world. Two weeks ago, . Then last week, he welcomed the players and staff of Italian soccer champions Napoli to the Vatican.


The Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Sun
Daniel Levy's right-hand woman LEAVES Tottenham as summer shakeup begins with Postecoglou's future also in doubt
TOTTENHAM executive director Donna Cullen has announced her departure from the club. Cullen had been on the Spurs board for almost 20 years before stepping down. 1 During that time, she became a close confidant of Daniel Levy and worked as his deputy. However, the executive director has now left the club to spend more time with her family. In a statement released on Monday morning, Cullen said: "This has been such a hard decision to make. The Club has been my life for the past three decades. "I have had the privilege of working with Daniel, whose vision and energy has driven the Club forward, and so many talented and wonderful colleagues. "It has been quite some journey, starting at White Hart Lane, with a brief stay at Wembley and finally our new home -amazing memories home and away. "Ending this season with the Europa League Trophy was a dream come true. "The time is now right for me to gather more time for myself and my family, whom I thank for all their support over the years. "I shall spend the coming months ensuring there is a smooth handover with my staff. Thank you all. I wish everyone at the Club all the success in the world." Meanwhile, Levy said: "Donna has made an immense contribution to the Club, over an extensive period. Her diverse responsibilities grew significantly and replacing her roles with a single individual will be impossible. "While many may associate her primarily with marketing and communications, Donna's impact extends far beyond those areas. Notably, her leadership and political acumen at planning committees, was instrumental in the Club being able to build one of the finest stadiums and training centres in the world. "She deserves recognition for the contribution she played in the formation of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, which has positively impacted countless individuals in our communities, and in establishing the London Academy of Excellence, providing children with exceptional educational opportunities. "Donna has pushed the conscience of the Club to be at the forefront of environmental and diversity initiatives. She also played a crucial role in supporting the amateur part-time Spurs Ladies, enabling the development of our professional women's team. "Her daily input will be greatly missed, however she fully deserves to take time for herself, and I know that we shall be able to call upon her advice when needed. We wish her well for the future."