British royals showered with gifts on travels

LONDON: Senior members of Britain s royal family are showered with gifts ranging from everyday items like CDs and baseball caps to ornate jewelry when they travel abroad, official records showed on Monday. The value of the items given to Queen Elizabeth II, her husband Prince Philip, Charles the Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla, and Charles s son Prince William, however, is not known. Clarence House, the official residence of heir to the throne Prince Charles, said it would be inappropriate to put a price on the gifts, while the royal household at Buckingham Palace said the value of some items was not known. Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, received a diamond brooch, a pair of gold bracelets, gold and silver necklaces, and three matching emerald, ruby and sapphire necklaces on an official tour to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and India last March with Charles. The pair is currently on a 10-day tour of the Gulf, and Charles was on Sunday presented with a ceremonial Arabic sword which had a scabbard that appeared to be embossed with jewels, by the King of Bahrain. He also received two pairs of sheep shears while traveling through Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand in 2005, and was gifted with honey, dates and 10 gold coins from the Saudi royal family in 2004. On last year s trip to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and India, he was given a diamond lapel brooch, a gold tie clip, and the Saudi royal family presented him with an Arabian stallion. Prince William, Charles s eldest son, on a solo tour of New Zealand in 2005 was meanwhile presented with three baseball caps, cufflinks, two key-rings and a scarf from members of the public.