THEIR MAJESTIES THE KING AND QUEEN UNDERTAKE A STATE VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: GIFT EXCHANGE
From The King to The President of The United States of America. The King gifted the President a framed facsimile of the 1879 design plans for the Resolute Desk, the originals of which are held by the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London.
These drawings show the front elevation, top and projection of the President's Desk, currently located in the Oval Office of the White House. The Resolute Desk was created from the timbers of the British exploration ship H.M.S. Resolute. The U.S. Government recovered and refitted H.M.S. Resolute before sending it back to England where it was presented to Queen Victoria on 17th December 1856 as a gesture of goodwill and friendship between the United States and the United Kingdom.
H.M.S. Resolute went on to serve in the Royal Navy until 1879, when it was decommissioned. Three desks were then made from the ship’s timber by master carpenter William Evenden, at the Royal Navy Dockyard in Chatham, Kent. On 23rd November 1880, the finished Resolute Desk was presented to President Rutherford B. Hayes by Queen Victoria.
From The Queen to the First Lady
The Queen presented the First Lady a Fiona Rae brooch.
British jewellery designer Fiona Rae has been designing and making jewellery for over 34 years. After graduating from Central Saint Martins, Fiona, a member of the British Society of Enamellers, received advice and a loan from the Prince’s Trust (now The King’s Trust) and is today one of the UK's few enamel specialists. In 2024, Fiona was among the first businesses to be granted a Royal Warrant from His Majesty The King. Fiona's work is a fusion of traditional craft skills alongside the latest developments in technology and computer-aided design.
From The President to The King
The President gifted His Majesty a custom facsimile of a letter written from John Adams to John Jay in 1785.
On June 2 1785, in a letter from John Adams to John Jay, Adams describes His Majesty King George III receiving Adams as the first U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain at St. James’s Palace. According to Adams, the meeting was marked by the pomp and ceremony required by the occasion of a royal audience. But beneath the pageantry, Adams described a strong undercurrent of emotion as the King and his former subject – once bitter enemies – met face to face, as statesmen.
Adams quotes his speech to the King promising to restore friendship between the two nations and the King’s response saying that although he was "the last to consent to the separation,” he would be the first to meet U.S. friendship. Adams notes that this experience might prove useful to later diplomats.
From the First Lady to The Queen
The First Lady gifted Her Majesty six Tiffany’s English King Sterling Silver Teaspoons and White House Honey.
The teaspoons are Tiffany’s interpretation of the “King” designs, which were very popular in England and America in the late 19th century. Each teaspoon is hand engraved with Her Majesty’s cypher.
For Tiffany’s 150th anniversary in 1987, this flatware pattern was selected for the Blair House – the official presidential guest quarters – to use while hosting heads of state and dignitaries.
The White House honey jar nods to the Queen’s interest in beekeeping and reflects a shared appreciation for sustainability, craftsmanship, and the natural world.
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