Story highlights
A list of gifts made to the royals on official overseas visits is released each year
William and Catherine traveled to Canada and the U.S. on their first tour as newlyweds
Charles and Camilla were given a camel saddle in Morocco and spears in South Africa
The gifts are from individuals, as well as governments and official bodies
What do you give the person who has everything? Well, a camel saddle, mosquito traps and a hatstand full of baseball caps were among the gifts handed to British royals during their overseas trips last year, an official list released Tuesday shows.
Clarence House releases the list of gifts each year, but a spokesman told CNN he could not specify which ones the royals have used themselves, which have been put on display and which have gone into storage.
The gifts include those presented to Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; as well as Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall; by individuals as well as governments and official bodies.
Prince William made a solo trip to New Zealand and Australia, both Commonwealth nations, in March, shortly before his wedding in April.
Among the gifts he received in New Zealand were carved and inscribed fragments of buildings in Christchurch, the city rocked by a series of powerful earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. He was also given a selection of baseball caps, books and jewelry – the last likely intended for his bride-to-be.
More hats and caps came Prince William’s way in Australia, not to mention a selection of sports jerseys, a cricket jacket, some Aboriginal artwork, a papier-mache model of a cassowary – a large flightless bird – and a cuddly toy handed over by emergency services workers.
He was also treated to a jar of Vegemite, a yeast extract spread popular with Australians that is eaten on toast. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard tried to convert President Barack Obama to the vegetarian spread while visiting the United States in March – without success.
In June and July, William and Catherine traveled together to Canada and the United States, in what was their first official visit as a married couple – and her first experience of a royal tour.
There William, himself a qualified search-and-rescue pilot, received gifts including a flight helmet by the Canadian Air Force and a Canadian Ranger Patrol knife. Catherine, meanwhile, was given fascinators in tartan and peacock feather, as well as an assortment of scarves, dresses, shoes and jewelry.
The newlyweds were jointly treated to matching black hoodies by Calgary Rotary Challenge Park, as well as a pair of chef’s jackets, after taking a cooking class in Montreal. The Ministry of Health gave them two mosquito traps, while their creature comforts were also taken care of with gifts of whiskey, wine and champagne.
The couple’s stay in the United States was more low-key, with gifts including coasters, a bread board and a copy of the Chicago Daily Sun & Times newspaper.
Among the more exotic gifts presented to Charles and Camilla were a “camel saddle and trappings” in Morocco. Weapons were also taken care of with the presentation of a ceremonial sword in Kuwait, a dagger in Morocco and a set of Zulu spears and shields in South Africa, not to mention a beaded hunting stick presented by Maasai tribal leaders in Tanzania.
In Spain and Portugal, local produce came to the fore, with bottles of olive oil and port, jars of marmalade and ham on the list. Spain’s own royal family opted to give the couple two books and a leather box of fruit and vegetable seeds.
According to Clarence House, no gifts can be sold but the royals can choose to give perishable produce to local good causes like hospitals or hospices.
The rest will either be kept safely in storage or put on display in St James’s Palace, Clarence House or other private residences, a spokesman said.
The presents are not considered the personal property of their royal recipients, although they can be worn or used by them, and are kept in trust for the nation.
CNN’s Max Foster contributed to this report.