3 days ago
King given Rolls-Royce by Bahrain
The King was given a Rolls-Royce car by the King of Bahrain as a Coronation gift, it has emerged.
The car, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II, has entered the royal fleet for official rather than personal use, it is understood, and has not yet been seen carrying the Royal family on public duty.
The gift, from Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, was made in May 2023 in honour of the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, and has now come to light as part of the official gift list published by Buckingham Palace.
The car can run on both petrol and biofuel, with the latter in line with the King's own eco credentials.
It is believed to be the only car given by a foreign royal family to be in the state fleet.
There are close royal ties between Britain and Bahrain, with 37 royal visits to the Middle Eastern country since 1965. The King last visited in 2016 when he was Prince of Wales.
In November 2024, the Bahraini King visited the King in Windsor, with a guard of honour and tea at the castle to mark his own silver jubilee. He was also appointed Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.
The gift was included in a list of items received by the King as part of his public life during his Coronation year in 2023.
Queen Elizabeth II
The final official gifts given to Queen Elizabeth II before she died have also been revealed, including two lamp posts, blankets for her ponies and a drawing of her beloved Balmoral.
The late Queen received a bottle of gin from the governor of New South Wales, a hazel walking cane from Her Majesty's Army, a platinum and diamond brooch from the Freemasons and a cedar of Lebanon tree from Pope Francis.
The president of the Swiss Confederation gave her two blankets for her ponies, embroidered with the flags of Switzerland and the UK. The Houses of Parliament gave two lamp posts 'in the form of bronze sculptures of heraldic beasts', as a present for the Platinum Jubilee.
Justin Welby, then archbishop of Canterbury, gave a Canterbury Cross and a clipping of the fig tree at Lambeth Palace, and Nicola Sturgeon, then first minister of Scotland, gave a bottle of special-edition whisky.
The list of gifts, which includes books, stamps, jewellery and numerous gifts from school children, has been released by Buckingham Palace as part of the official record of 2022.
Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept 8 2022, making it the final list of her 70-year reign.
In 2021, the late Queen received a cobble from the original set of Coronation Street during a visit to the set.
King Charles and Queen Camilla
Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, gave the King a framed mosaic, a scroll about St Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv, and a signed Ukrainian ship's flag during a 2023 audience – all are known to be areas of interest for King Charles.
The president of Poland gave him a set of items relating to honey, the ambassador for Laos presented a sticky-rice basket, and the Muslim World League gave a model of a palm tree.
From the president of Germany came a Beethoven CD and DVD set for the King, along with an insect hotel and bottle of port; the Blue Peter team sent gold badges.
A ceremonial sword came from the Canadian Mounties, a feather crown from the indigenous leaders of the Amazon, and a leather folder of letters between Queen Elizabeth II and president Eisenhower came from Joe and Jill Biden, along with a framed photograph of Marine One landing on the lawn in Windsor.
Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of the Republic of South Africa, gave the Queen a pair of candlesticks in November 2022, while Prince Jan Lubomirski-Lanckoronski, a Polish prince, gave her a rose pink hat with a feather in July 2023.
The first lady of Kenya gave the Queen an embroidered giraffe in October 2023 on a state visit to Kenya, along with a tapestry of a zebra.
The Crown Prince and Princess of Norway gave her a collection of books in March 2023, which included Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson and Love by Hanne Orstavik.
The first lady of the Arab Republic of Egypt also gave the Queen a bag in November 2021.
Prince and Princess of Wales
The Prince and Princess of Wales have received dozens of gifts to take for their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, including rugby balls from France in 2023, bracelets and paint sets from Poland, and t-shirts, fire hats and backpacks from New York.
They received 89 gifts, mostly from members of the public, during their 2022 tour of the Caribbean, each receiving a snorkel set, a wetsuit, a pair of diving fins and a swimming cap.
Andrew Holness, the republican prime minister of Jamaica, who used the trip to say he wanted to get rid of the monarchy, gave them a bottle of rum.
In 2020, the couple each received a toiletries set from Michael D Higgins, the president of Ireland, and his wife, Sabina Higgins, during an official visit.
During that trip, they also each received GAA club jerseys, as well as a bottle of whisky and two whisky tumblers.
Others
In July 2021, the Princess Royal was given a set of five children's mouthguards on an official visit to mouthguard manufacturer Opro.
A box of 51 acorns was given to her in January 2023 by the Friends of Royal Wansted School to mark the 51 years since the closure of the school.
She was also given a maritime knot in a bottle the same month on a visit to Estonia, along with a giant decorative tortoise in July on a visit to Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.
In October 2023, she received a handmade pygmy hog statue during the 141st International Olympic Committee Session in Mumbai.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, then the Count and Countess of Wessex, were given a Lagos version of Monopoly in February 2020 from the High Commission, Nigeria.
The Duke of Kent, meanwhile, received a small silver coaster from Boodles to commemorate his patronage in April 2023.
Royal gift rules
Official gifts can be worn and used, but are not considered the royals' personal property. The royals do not pay tax on them.
They can eat any food they are given and perishable official gifts with a value less than £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.
The rules on official presents were tightened following the Peat Inquiry in 2003 into the sale of royal gifts and the running of St James's Palace.
No gift lists have been published since 2021, with Buckingham Palace releasing all four years of records in one tranche on Friday.
