King Charles's gifts to Donald Trump have significant historic meaning

Ben McCaffrey
Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:14:46 +0000

King Charles III and Queen Camilla exchanged ceremonial gifts with Donald and Melania Trump on Day Two of the historic US State Visit.

The royal couple received an unprecedented military welcome on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday, marking the highest diplomatic honour America extends to visiting heads of state.

Among the presents offered by the King, two stood out in particular: a polished brass bell from HMS Trump, a Second World War submarine that once served in the Pacific, and a premium copy of the Resolute Desk.

"I'm delighted to present to you the original bell which hung on the conning tower of your valiant namesake," the King declared. "May it stand as a testimony to our nation's shared history and shining future."

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The submarine bell, burnished to a mirror finish, had spent more than two decades in Australia during the Royal Navy's permanent presence there.

King Charles quipped as he handed over the relic: "And should you ever need to get hold of us, just give us a ring."

Along with the bell came the design copy of the 1879 design plans for the Resolute Desk.

The desk was originally a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880, becoming a staple piece of the White House ever since, sitting in the Oval Office.

This iconic piece of furniture carries deep British heritage, having been crafted from the timbers of HMS Resolute, a Royal Navy exploration vessel.

American whalers recovered the abandoned ship in 1854, and after refitting it, the United States returned the vessel to Queen Victoria in 1856 as a gesture of friendship.

Following the ship's decommissioning, a master carpenter in Kent transformed its timber into three desks before Queen Victoria gifted it to the American President.

Original design plans for the desk are held in the National Maritime Museum in London.

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In return, President Trump offered King Charles a bespoke reproduction of correspondence penned by John Adams to John Jay in 1785.

The letter recounts Mr Adams's audience with King George III at St James's Palace, where he was received as the first American ambassador to Britain.

Mr Adams described the emotional weight of the encounter between former adversaries who met as statesmen, with the monarch declaring that while he had been the last to consent to separation, he would be first to embrace American friendship.

This exchange between once bitter enemies carried particular resonance for the state visit marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence.

Queen Camilla presented the First Lady with a brooch crafted by Fiona Rae, a British enamel specialist who received support from the King's Trust and now holds a Royal Warrant.

The piece represents one of Britain's few remaining practitioners of this traditional craft.

Mrs Trump reciprocated with six sterling silver teaspoons from Tiffany's English King collection, each bearing the Queen's cypher.

The cutlery reflects designs that enjoyed popularity in both England and America during the late nineteenth century.

The First Lady also gifted honey produced at the White House, a thoughtful nod to Queen Camilla's well-known passion for beekeeping.

This sweet offering acknowledged the pair's mutual appreciation for sustainability, craftsmanship and the natural world.