The exchange of gifts between rulers is a long-standing custom.

In 1520 Henry VIII and Francis I of France exchanged gifts at the Field of Cloth of Gold in Northern France. Other recorded exchanges took place between James I and the Emperor of Japan in 1613, and George III and the Emperor of China in 1792-3.

The tradition has continued through the reigns of all subsequent monarchs. Over the centuries, some unusual gifts have been received, including a cheetah which was sent from India to George III in 1764, and a giraffe given to George IV by the Pasha of Egypt in 1827.

The exchange of official gifts on a State visit, usually on the first day, serves as a gesture of goodwill between the visiting and the host nation. The form of these gifts varies enormously, but they often use materials and craftsmen specific to that country and represent an aspect of its culture or heritage.

In 1972, for example, Her Majesty received a collection of shells from the Seychelles and in 1991 she was presented with a pair of cowboy boots during her visit to the United States of America.

During her reign Her Majesty has received lacrosse sticks, sunglasses, a pair of sandals, pineapples, eggs, a box of snail shells, a grove of maple trees, a dozen tins of of tuna and 7kg of prawns.

Probably the most unusual of all the gifts that have been presented to The Queen are the many live animals. These include several horses, notably Burmese, given by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and ridden by Her Majesty at the Trooping the Colour from 1969 to 1986. Other more exotic animals have been placed in the care of London Zoo, among them a canary from Germany, jaguars and sloths from Brazil, two black beavers from Canada, two young giant turtles from the Seychelles and an elephant called Jumbo from the Cameroon.

Some items are loaned to an appropriate organisation, for example a Maori canoe, given by the government of New Zealand, is on long-term loan to the British Museum, and two floor mats given by Queen Salote and the Tongan people are at the Royal Scottish Museum.

On The Queen's 1994 visit to Russia, Her Majesty was presented with her portrait in Garter robes. The painting now hangs in the British Embassy in Moscow to commemorate the visit.