President and Mrs. Obama Give Thoughtful, Appropriate Gifts to Queen Elizabeth

Mindful of the diplomatic gift gaffes of the past (see here and here), President Obama really stepped up to the plate for his state visit to Great Britain. This time an experienced protocol officer clearly helped out with the formal gift giving that is an expected part of a state visit.

The White House released this statement describing the gifts from the Obamas to Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall:

The President and Mrs. Obama gave Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II a collection of rare memorabilia and photographs in a handmade leather bound album that chronologically highlights her parents' (King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) visit to the United States in 1939. As the 1939 visit was the first such trip to the United States by a reigning British monarch, this gift contains both historic and personal value.

For His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the President and Mrs. Obama gave a custom-made set of Fell Pony bits and shanks, as well as original horseshoes worn by recently retired champion carriage horse Jamaica. The Duke of Edinburgh has a keen interest in equestrian sports and specifically in carriage driving. Designed in Colorado and made in Ohio, the set includes several interchangeable bits and each shank is engraved with the Presidential Seal. A slaughterhouse rescue horse, Jamaica rose to the top of carriage horse competition and was named the 2008 United States Equestrian Federation Horse of the Year.

For His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall, the President and Mrs. Obama gave a special selection of plants, seedlings and seeds from the gardens of Mount Vernon, Monticello and the South Lawn of The White House, as well as jars of honey from The White House beehive. This one-of-a-kind collection is presented in a specially handcrafted wooden box made from a Magnolia tree that fell on the grounds of The White House during the snowstorm of February 2009. Magnolia trees have been a fixture on the South Lawn of The White House since the mid-nineteenth century.

What lovely and thoughtful gifts. Prince Charles is a major supporter of green initiatives and of organic farming. The handmade box crafted out of a fallen Magnolia tree was a very nice, personal touch. The leather bound photo book of the Queen's parents' trip to the U.S. is also insightful and appropriate.

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