Most unusual gifts received by Queen Elizabeth II

Receiving gifts on one’s birthday or on a special occasion may not come as a surprise to many. But when it comes to the Queen of England, the list of presents can be quite magnificent and unusual. While Queen Elizabeth II is one of the most renowned dignitaries in the world, surely an ordinary box of prezzie may not suffice and may seem improper. That being said, here’s a catalogue of some of the most bizarre and unusual gifts the Queen has received in her lifetime.

Photo: Reuters

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Queen Elizabeth II has received many gifts from different countries and animals have been some of the most exotic ones of the lot. In 1972, the Queen was offered an African forest elephant as a form of present from the Cameroon government. The elephant was called Jumbo and was donated to the London Zoo. Unfortunately, it died in 1988.

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On their wedding day, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh received 500 tins of pineapple as a form of present from the Australian government. While nothing is confirmed, it is said that the tins were given to the public to help them during a post-war Britain.

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Although Queen Elizabeth loves horses and has a knack for horse riding, one can never imagine her in a pair of cowboy boots. But that’s exactly what the US government had presented her in 1991.

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On behalf of the Queen, the Queen Mother, on her visit to the British Columbia in 1958, accepted a huge 100-foot totem pole from the Chief Mungo Martin of the Kwakiutl Indians, a tribe located on Vancouver Island.

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While there is nothing in this world that the Queen of England does not possess, the British Virgin Islands, also known as the Salt Island, chose to present her with a 1 pound bag of salt as a form of rent-cum-gift. The tradition was reintroduced in 2015.

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n 1974, the President of France, Georges Pompidou gifted the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh an enormous wine cooler in the shape of a grasshopper.

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One of the most bizarre and unique gifts that the Queen has ever received is the teeth of the sperm whale, also known as a tabua, given to her by the Fijian people. It is known to be a gesture most common to the Fijian tradition.

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