A collection of gifts received by Queen Elizabeth during her reign are set to be showcased in a new exhibition.
The 90-year-old monarch has amassed a large collection of gifts during her whopping 65-year reign, and now more than 250 official presents that were once handed to the monarch are set to be placed on display at Buckingham Palace.
Visitors to the yearly summer opening of the state rooms at the London residence will be able to view the gifts, which have been given to the Queen during various overseas tours, official engagements, and state visits, and come from over 100 countries around the world.
The gifts include a totem pole made by the Kwakiutl people of Canada’s north-west coast, a London Underground sign with "Buckingham Palace" written on it which the Queen picked up during a tour of Aldgate Station in 2010, and a beaded throne gifted to the royal by the Queen of Nigeria in 1956.
Also included in the exhibition is a model of the Vessel of Friendship ship sailed by the 15th-century Chinese navigator and diplomat Zheng He, given to Queen Elizabeth during a state visit to China in 2015 by President Xi Jinping.
The Royal Gifts exhibition forms part of the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace from July 22 to October 1 2017.
Meanwhile, it was revealed earlier this year that the Queen received gifts including a purple bag of salt from the British Virgin Islands whilst Withyham parish in East Sussex, England offered the monarch a padded union flag with the words "Now we are Ninety" on it in commemoration of her 90th birthday last year.
A DVD titled ‘Three Cheers for the Queen’ was also included as a present, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police gifted the Queen a horse called Sir John, whilst the Royal Cavalry of Oman presented the British royal with a bronze statue of 40 horses and a carriage.
Queen Elizabeth’s royal gifts to go on display
