Oyster card listed among royal gifts

Fabulous jewels, sumptuous decorative pieces, fine wine and an Oyster travel card were just some of the official gifts received by the Queen last year.

As tokens of thanks, the Queen received a plethora of presents during royal engagements in 2013.

When the head of state marked the 150th anniversary of London Underground by visiting the capital’s Baker Street Tube station last March, she was presented with a commemorative Oyster card, as were the Duke of Edinburgh and Duchess of Cambridge.

And when Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, president of the United Arab Emirates, arrived for a state visit last April, he brought for his host a gold jewelled frame set on a jewelled ostrich egg.

He also gave the Queen a five-strand necklace, made from natural pearls from the Arabian Gulf.

The more unusual gifts included an edible carriage – a replica of the Irish state coach – made from chocolate, sugar and 24-carat gold leaf.

It was presented in April at the end of a royal visit to the UK headquarters of the firm Mars in Slough, Berkshire.

The item was included in a list of officials gifts given to members of the Royal Family and released by Buckingham Palace.