King Charles III and Queen Camilla exchanged gifts with U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump during their historic state visit to the United States. The official welcome ceremony took place on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, featuring an unprecedented military display.
Gifts from the Royal Couple
King Charles presented President Trump with a framed facsimile of the 1879 design plans for the Resolute Desk, which currently resides in the Oval Office. The desk was crafted from the timbers of the British exploration ship HMS Resolute. After the ship was recovered and refitted by the U.S. government, it was returned to England and presented to Queen Victoria on December 17, 1856, as a gesture of goodwill. The ship later served in the Royal Navy until 1879, when its timbers were used to create three desks in Kent. Queen Victoria gifted the finished desk to U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes on November 23, 1880. The original plans are held by the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London.
Gifts from the Trumps
President Trump gave King Charles a custom replica of a letter written by former U.S. President John Adams to fellow founding father John Jay in 1785. In the letter, Adams describes King George III receiving him as the first U.S. ambassador to Great Britain at St James' Palace in London, detailing the emotions of their meeting. Adams wrote that the King said he was the 'last to consent to the separation' but would be 'the first to meet the friendship of the United States.'
Queen Camilla received a brooch by British designer Fiona Rae from Melania Trump. In return, the First Lady gave King Charles six Tiffany & Co. English King sterling silver teaspoons engraved with Camilla’s cypher, along with a jar of White House honey. The teaspoons are a Tiffany interpretation of King designs popular in the late 19th century. The honey nods to the Queen's interest in beekeeping and the shared appreciation for sustainability, nature, and craftsmanship.
