Royal gifts on display at Buckingham Palace exhibition
Written by News on 21/07/2017
It’s the ultimate challenge when it comes to gift-buying – what would you buy the Queen?
It’s a question for world leaders whenever they’ve hosted Her Majesty or visited Great Britain and now their gifts are set to go on display in a new exhibition in the summer state rooms at Buckingham Palace.
Royal Gifts tells the story of the Queen’s reign using over 200 gifts presented to her majesty by world leaders visiting Britain or when the monarch herself has travelled abroad.
Highlights include the Union Flag badge worn in space by Major Tim Peake and a strip of the red, white and blue ribbon cut by Her Majesty and President Mitterand of France at the official opening of the Eurotunnel in May 1994.
Some of the slightly stranger gifts include a bag of salt from The Virgin Islands and a paperweight made from a fossilised dinosaur bone, presented to The Queen by the Canadian city of Drumheller in 1959.
The longest-reigning British monarch, Her Majesty is also the most travelled sovereign in British history, undertaking more than 250 overseas visits during her 65-year reign.
At the same time, the exhibition also remembers the many official duties Prince Diana undertook in support of the Queen ahead of the 20th anniversary of The Princess’ death next month.
A commemorative display includes the desk at which the princess worked in her sitting room at Kensington Palace, writing letters and reading official briefings and correspondence.
Many of the objects shown on and around her desk have been selected by the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry to reflect their mother’s commitment to duty and their personal memories of her.
They include photographs of friends and family, her ballet shoes, cassette tapes of her favourite artists and a wooden school tuck box bearing the name "D Spencer".
:: The Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, including the special exhibition Royal Gifts and the tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, is from 22 July to 1 October 2017.
(c) Sky News 2017: Royal gifts on display at Buckingham Palace exhibition
