91. Personalized Air Force One Jacket
Gifted to: Prince Philip
Gifted by: President Donald Trump
Est. Value: $120*
An exchange of gifts is customary, if not expected, between heads of state, and the gifts usually have something to do with each head’s respective home country. Former President Donald Trump gifted the Duke of Edinburgh a customized, personalized Air Force One jacket during Trump’s state visit to the U.K.
Personalized Air Force One Jacket ©Lorna Roberts/Shutterstock
These Air Force One jackets, traditionally, are worn by U.S. heads of state when they’re traveling via the famed jet. Technically, the Air Force One moniker can apply to any aircraft that carries the U.S. president, but, in Trump’s time, it referred to one of two customized presidential jets.
92. An Apron
Gifted to: Meghan Markle
Gifted by: Prince William
Est. Value: $15-$20*
Though an apron might seem like a petty gift for a Duchess, there is a great story behind this one. Prince William gifted Meghan Markle an apron as her first official royal gift. An apron was a very thoughtful gift for Meghan, who is a huge fan of cooking (especially Ina Garten’s roast chicken).
An Apron @TheSunOnline/Pinterest
Though Markle received a lot of “his and hers” gifts with her husband, Prince Harry, the apron marked the first time that she, specifically, was given an official gift. Apparently, an admirer of Meghan’s gave Prince William the apron while he was in Finland, and he passed it to Harry to give to Meghan back in London.
93. A Puppet in a Wooden Case
Gifted to: Queen Elizabeth II
Gifted by: State Visit to Yogyakarta, Java
Est. Value: $25-$50*
For those who aren’t familiar with Sundanese traditions, a Wayang Golek is a traditional puppet. The puppet style was developed in West Java, Indonesia, and it is very popular there, particularly in the Pasundan region. So, it only made sense that Queen Elizabeth received one of these traditional puppets when she visited Java.
A Puppet in a Wooden Case ©Tim Graham/Getty Images
The wood and plastic puppet was presented to the Queen in 1974 by Hamengkubuwono IX, then the Sultan of Yogyakarta (and the VP of Indonesia). The Queen held onto it all these years, and the Wayang Golek is displayed, like many of her gifts, in the Royal Collection Trust.
94. A Grow-Your-Own-Girlfriend Kit
Gifted to: Prince Harry
Gifted by: Duchess of Cambridge
Est. Value: $6*
Obviously, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are happily married, but, before that, Harry was famously single and ready to mingle. Kate Middleton bought him a joking, slightly savage gift before he met Meghan. To poke fun at Harry’s singleness, Kate got her brother-in-law a “Grow Your Own Girlfriend” kit, part of the Royal tradition of giving one another cheap gag gifts for Christmas.
A Grow-your-own-girlfriend Kit ©WPA Pool/Getty Images | @Amazon
Other wacky presents from Christmases past include a shower cap with a funny slogan, a white leather toilet seat, and more. As per the Royal Family’s German heritage, the gifts are given on Christmas Eve, not Christmas day.
95. A Bottle of Gin and Two Glasses
Gifted to: Queen Elizabeth II
Gifted by: Le Régiment de la Chaudière
Est. Value: $50*
In 2019, the Queen received quite a few gifts, including a picture of a swimming pig from the leader of the Bahamas. Though her gift from the Regiment de la Chaudiere of Canada wasn’t quite as unique, it was still much appreciated by the Queen. The Regiment gifted her a boxed bottle of gin (no doubt an expensive one) and two glasses.
A Bottle of Gin and Two Glasses ©WPA Pool/Getty Images
Canadians love their gin, and Canadian brands of alcohol have consistently racked in the accolades. Their distilled gins have won a ton of awards, and they remain very popular around the world. Hopefully, the Queen was a gin drinker.
96. Aquamarine and Gold Bracelet
Gifted to: Duchess of Cambridge
Gifted by: Prince William
Est. Value: $100-$200*
Around the time the two got married, Prince William gifted his wife, Kate Middleton, a sapphire and diamond earring set that was very similar to the sapphire engagement ring that she inherited from Prince William’s late mother, Diana.
Aquamarine and Gold Bracelet ©Isaaack/Shutterstock | @hellomag/Twitter
The Duchess had the set customized (a common thing the Royal Family does with their jewelry) into drop earrings. She wore them for the first time while on a tour of Canada, donning the sparklers alongside a blue jacket and dress. Since then, Kate has worn the set on many different occasions, showing her appreciation for William’s good taste in jewelry.
97. A Painting of a Samurai Helmet
Gifted to: Prince George and Princess Charlotte
Gifted by: Japanese Well-Wishers
Est. Value: Unknown
Prince George and Princess Charlotte are two of the Royal Family’s youngest members, but that doesn’t stop well-wishers from giving them gifts. Japan was one of the most generous countries, giving little George and Charlotte a painting of a samurai helmet, as well as two Kendama games and a soft toy.
A Painting of a Samurai Helmet ©Pool/Max/Getty Images
Samurai were ancient Japanese warriors that were well-paid and retained by the daimyo. They had high prestige, special privileges (like wearing two swords), and their influence has lasted through the centuries. Though there are no samurai now, these great warriors are still considered a vital, famous piece of Japanese heritage and culture.
98. A Pair of Slippers Emblazoned With the Queens Face
Gifted to: Queen Elizabeth II
Gifted by: Prince William
Est. Value: $15-$20*
As we’ve mentioned, Christmas with the Royal Family is a lighthearted affair, and Prince William and Harry always gave their grandmother a run for her money in the gag-gift-giving game. Princess Diana was a famous prankster, once giving Prince Harry fake dog poop. According to Paul Burrell, the Royal Butler for the princess, Diana would spend “hours” finding “jokey things” for her sons’ stockings.
A Pair of Slippers Emblazoned With the Queens Face ©Anna Jurkovska/Shutterstock
Prince William gifted the Queen a pair of slippers with her face on him, while his brother, Harry, gifted her a shower cap with the slogan, “Ain’t life a b***h” on it. The two have apparently taken after their mother in their love of prank gifts.
99. A Hand-Painted, Model Bus
Gifted to: Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh
Gifted by: The British High Commission Drivers
Est. Value: Unknown
In 1997, the British High Commission Drivers gifted Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth with this intricately-painted model bus. If you look closely, you can see that the model bus is painted with portraits of the two Royals. According to the Royal Collection Trust, this type of art has been around for eighty years.
A Hand-painted, Model Bus @visitscotland/Twitter
“Truck art” was first developed in Pakistan in the 1940s, and it combines traditional motifs from Islam and Sikhism with more modern elements, such as portraits of national leaders like the Queen. Interestingly, prominent British politician Boris Johnson also has a hobby relating to painting model buses.
100. A Model of Diwan-i-Khas
Gifted to: Queen Elizabeth II
Gifted by: India’s prime minister, Morarji Desai
Est. Value: Unknown
The Diwan-i-Khas, also known as the Hall of Private Audiences, is a chamber within the Red Fort of Delhi. Constructed in 1648, the Diwan-i-Khas is a location for receptions, and it was where Shah Jahan, the Mughal Emperor, received state guests and courtiers. The Diwan-i-Khas is constructed of red Sikri sandstone, and it is one of Delhi’s most beautiful structures.
A Model of Diwan-i-Khas ©Anwar Hussein/Getty Images
In 1977 for her Silver Jubilee, Moraji Desai, the Prime Minister of India at the time, presented the Queen with a silver model of the Diwan-i-Khas. The silver, detailed model is encased in a dark wood/Perspex box lined with royal blue velvet.