A fringed lacework cloth made out of yarn spun by Gandhi on his own spinning wheel
Royal Wedding Gifts, 1947
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In November of 1947, just over 260,000 people each paid a shilling1 to enter St. James’s Palace and view a selection of objects recently given to soon-to-be Queen Elizabeth II and Philip Mountbatten on the occasion of their wedding. More than 2,000 gifts had arrived from far and wide and had been sent by fellow royals, world leaders, celebrities, and members of the public, and presents included nylon stockings (131 pairs), tins of pineapple (500 cases of)2, and unimaginably expensive jewellery (lots), and we know exactly what was gifted because a booklet was published—pictured above—in which all were listed. Below is just a selection.
THE KING
A sapphire and diamond clusters necklace and a pair of sapphire and diamond drop earrings.
A pair of Purdey guns.
MISS J. LAWRENCE
Pair of nylon stockings.
THE LORD WOLVERTON
An electric heater for breakfast dishes.
UKRAINIAN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP, SLEAFORD LINCOLNSHIRE
A snapshot album, the lid decorated in traditional Ukrainian style.
HIS HIGHNESS THE NIZAM OF HYDERBAD
A Diamond Tiara, English Rose and foliage design and a Diamond Necklace.
MR. NOËL COWARD
A Georgian silver salver with scalloped corners on scroll feet, and a cornelian and agate seal.
THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY
A Beaver Coat.
THE NETHERLANDS GOVERNMENT
A Service of glass for thirty-six persons, each piece engraved with the cypher of The Princess Elizabeth.
LORD AND LADY SOMERS
Styrian jade cigarette box with lapis dog couchant on lid.
MR. PETER SPARKS
Old Chinese painting on glass of riverside landscape and summer sky. The lady with snow-white hair in the foreground wears the long-life symbol on her sleeve, and offers the “longevity lotus” to her husband. The flower is associated with a happy old age. The mandarin duck and drake are emblematic of a happy marriage. Ch’ien Lung, 1736-1795.
THE PEOPLE OF BLACKBURN
Eight lengths of woven material.
MRS. T. J. HUME
Pair of nylon stockings.
THE QUEEN
A two-handled tea tray with gadroon edge, London, 1800, by Thomas Hannam and John Crouch, the centre engraved with the Arms of George III.
Four salt cellars and spoons.
Four mustard pots and spoons, four octagonal pepper pots, one large toast rack and two small toast racks, and a gravy argyle.
MISS P. FULLFORTH
A Dick Turpin jug.
THE PEOPLE OF TANGANYIKA
An uncut diamond; the cutting of the stone will be arranged in accordance with The Princess Elizabeth’s wishes.
THE DIRECTORS AND EMPLOYEES OF MESSRS. HOOVER, LIMITED
A “Hoover” cleaner.
MAHATMA GANDHI
A fringed lacework cloth made out of yarn spun by the donor on his own spinning wheel.3
MRS. G. BIDWELL
Pair of nylon stockings.
THE AHMEDIYYA COMMUNITY IN GREAT BRITAIN
A Copy of The Holy Quran bound blue morocco tooled with gold and bearing the cypher of The Princess Elizabeth
SIR MALCOLM SARGENT
His Master’s Voice radiogramophone
THE GOVERNMENT OF QUEENSLAND
500 cases of tinned pineapple.
The money raised was given to charity.
Subsequently give to the public, as were many of the edible gifts.
Apparently Queen Mary mistakenly thought Gandhi’s gift was one of his own loincloths. “Such an indelicate object,” she remarked.
It is astonishing that for Elizabeth and previous royals, subscriptions from the general public made so much money that they bought diamond tiaras!
I wonder if she handwrite all the thank you notes. I'm guessing she did.