King Charles and Queen Camilla exchanged gifts with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump during an official visit to the White House on Tuesday. The King presented President Trump with a bell from the historic Royal Navy submarine HMS Trump, which served in the Pacific during World War II.
The Gift of the Bell
In a speech, King Charles said: 'I'm delighted to present to you 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.' He added humorously: 'Should you ever need to get hold of us, just give us a ring,' prompting laughter from the crowd.
Origins of HMS Trump
HMS Trump was a Royal Navy submarine built in Barrow-in-Furness and served in the Pacific during World War II. Although the King referred to it as the President's 'valiant namesake,' the submarine was not named after any specific person. In the 1940s, many Royal Navy vessels were given short 'T' names, such as HMS Tiptoe and HMS Truncheon.
Other Gifts Exchanged
King Charles also gave President Trump a framed replica of the 1879 design plans for the Resolute Desk, which currently sits in the Oval Office. The desk was made from timbers of the British exploration ship HMS Resolute. After the ship was recovered by the US government and returned to Britain, Queen Victoria presented the finished desk to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. The original plans are held by the National Maritime Museum in London.
In return, President Trump gifted the King a custom replica of a 1785 letter from former US President John Adams to John Jay. In the letter, Adams describes his meeting with King George III, who said he was 'last to consent to the separation' but would be 'first to meet US friendship.'
Queen Camilla gave Melania Trump a brooch by British designer Fiona Rae. The First Lady presented Charles with six Tiffany's English King sterling silver teaspoons engraved with Camilla's cypher and a jar of White House honey, a nod to the Queen's interest in beekeeping.
