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A bag of salt and a rugby ball among weird and wonderful presents the Queen was given last year


Chloe Best
Lifestyle Features Editor
January 13, 2016
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A diamond brooch, soft toys and a bag of salt are among the eclectic array of gifts received by The Queen, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in 2015. The royals have been inundated with gifts during their tours and engagements, with the official record of what they have received released by the palace on Wednesday.

Gifts range from the weird to the wonderful, with a sapphire and diamond brooch set from the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka sure to be one of the standout items received by the Monarch in 2015.

queen elizabeth © Photo: Getty Images

The Queen received a number of gifts during her visit to Germany

While some presents have historic significance - such as the first rugby ball from the Rugby World Cup - others are slightly more questionable, including the bag of salt gifted to Her Majesty by John Duncan, Governor of the British Virgin Islands.

The Queen received a number of gifts to commemorate her record reign in September, with a silver necklace and framed message of congratulations among the items received. Many other gifts came during her official tours of Malta and Germany, where she was presented with a marzipan representation of the Brandenberg Gate.

queen elizabeth1 © Photo: Rex

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh look at the gifts they have received in Malta

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were the recipients of a similarly diverse array of gifts, with everything from a baseball cap to a bar of soap presented to the royals in New Zealand.

Food and drink featured heavily, with members of the public from Jordan, New Zealand and the US sharing everything from jars of honey and dates to bottles of bourbon and wine with their royal visitors.

PrinceCharles © Photo: Getty Images

Prince Charles and King Tuheitia exchange gifts in New Zealand

The couple were also given a number of gifts for Prince George and Princess Charlotte, including baby clothes, soft toys and children's books.

The Queen has received many unusual gifts during her reign, including a number of animals such as jaguars and sloths from Brazil, two black beavers from Canada and an elephant called Jumbo from the Cameroon.

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