King Charles Gives Donald Trump Special Gifts During U.S. Visit

During his state visit to the U.S., King Charles III gave President Donald Trump two symbolic gifts, including the original brass bell from the HMS Trump, a British submarine launched in 1944.

The gift was presented on Tuesday, April 28, during a formal white-tie state dinner in the East Room of the White House.

The bell, polished to a mirror shine, bears the year 1944 and the name of the vessel, which King Charles noted was the only ship in the Royal Navy's history to bear that name.

When presenting the gift to the POTUS, the King quipped, "And should you ever need to get hold of us, well, just give us a ring!"

The King also gifted a framed, high-quality reproduction of the 1879 design plans for the Resolute Desk, the original of which sits in the Oval Office.

The Resolute Desk is a famous White House artifact gifted to President Rutherford B. Hayes by Queen Victoria in 1880 as a gesture of friendship. It was crafted from the oak timbers of the British Arctic exploration ship HMS Resolute, which was found abandoned by American whalers and returned to the UK. It has been used by most presidents, famously in the Oval Office.

Trump reciprocated by gifting the King a custom facsimile of a 1785 letter from John Adams to John Jay, describing the first U.S. ambassador's meeting with King George III.

First Lady Melania Trump received a custom brooch by British designer Fiona Rae.

At the same time, Queen Camilla was gifted six Tiffany & Co. sterling silver teaspoons and White House honey from the bee garden cultivated by First Lady Michelle Obama.

The visit, which marked the 250th anniversary of American independence, was the first state visit by a British monarch to the U.S. since 2007.

The monarch was also in the U.S. to reinforce the "special relationship" between the UK and the U.S. and mend strained diplomatic ties over international issues such as the war in Iran.

During his speech to Congress on Tuesday, the King used several witty quips and pointed diplomatic remarks widely interpreted as digs at the POTUS.

While maintaining a diplomatic tone, the King's globally lauded addresses to both Congress and at the White House state dinner included humor about real estate, historical rivalries and democratic stability.

In response to Trump's previous assertion that Europe would be speaking German without the U.S., Charles joked at the state dinner, "Dare I suggest that if it weren't for us, you'd be speaking French?"

Charles’ mention of "checks and balances" on executive power was met with loud applause from Democrats, many of whom viewed it as a subtle critique of Trump's authoritarian-leaning leadership style.

He also delivered what analysts called a "pointed" defense of NATO, reminding lawmakers that the only time collective defense was invoked was to support the U.S. after 9/11— a direct pushback against Trump’s threats to pull out of the alliance.

The royal couple also plans to visit Virginia and New York, where they will honor the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks ahead of its 25th anniversary.