Gifts exchanged by Donald and Melania Trump and King Charles and Queen Camilla during State visit revealed

If you think it’s hard work finding the perfect gift to buy for mum this Mother’s Day, imagine the degree of difficulty in nailing the present exchange between Donald Trump and King Charles during this week’s historic State visit.

It’s tradition for the heads of state and their partners to swap gifts to mark the occasion and what they choose can be very revealing.

In what has been described as by far the most high-profile and consequential state visit of Charles’ reign so far, the King has shown a deft diplomatic hand and an elite level of gift-giving prowess.

The visit marks the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence from British rule, and is the first to the country by a British monarch in two decades.

It also comes at a time when the relationship between the UK government and the US is an all time low after Donald Trump criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the British response to the war the US started in Iran.

What gifts did King Charles give Donald Trump?

But King Charles has shown he knows how to win over Mr Trump, giving him a gift that not only stroked the President’s ego but was also a pointed nod to the importance of the AUKUS security alliance shared by the two countries alongside Australia.

Hours after the monarch received a standing ovation from the US Congress when he talked up the AUKUS partnership, he presented Mr Trump with the bell from a World War Two British submarine.

The masterstroke? The submarine, which was deployed to Australia for much of its operational life, was named the HMS Trump.

“There was one particular AUKUS predecessor, launched from a UK shipyard in 1944 that served for the majority of her life attached to the 4th Submarine Squadron in Australia playing a critical role during the war in the Pacific,” the King said.

“Her name? HMS Trump — so tonight, Mr. President, I am delighted to present to you, as a personal gift, the original bell which hung on the conning tower of your valiant namesake. May it stand as a testimony to our nation’s shared history and shining future.”

The bell gift, was the second offered to Mr Trump by the monarch during the state visit. He had earlier presented him with a high quality framed reproduction of the 1879 design plans for the Resolute Desk, which sits in the Oval Office at the White House.

The desk was created from the timbers of the British exploration ship HMS Resolute and was presented by Queen Victoria to then-US president Rutherford B Hayes in 1880.

What did Donald Trump give King Charles?

In a nod to the history of the two countries, Donald Trump gave King Charles a custom replica of a letter written by former US President John Adams to fellow founding father John Jay in 1785.

In the letter Adams, who was the first US ambassador to Great Britain, described meeting King George lll at St James Palace in London.

He wrote that the King had told Adams during the meeting that while he was the “last to consent to the separation”, he would be first to meet US friendship.

What gifts did Queen Camilla and Melania Trump exchange?

The Queen and First Lady also got in on the gift-giving.

Camilla’s thoughtful gift for the First Lady was a brooch by British designer Fiona Rae, whose work is described as a “fusion of traditional craft skills alongside the latest developments in technology and computer-aided design”.

In return, Mrs Trump gave the Camilla six teaspoons made by Tiffany’s in English Sterling silver and embossed with the Queen’s cypher.

Mrs Trump also gave the Queen a jar of honey made by bees from a hive on the White House’s south lawn.