What JFK Gave Queen Elizabeth the First—And Only—Time They Met
Photo: Getty.
Queen Elizabeth II—you know, being the queen and all—gets lots of lavish presents from across the globe. Silver! Gold! Priceless works of craftsmanship and art! Small, autographed portraits of American president John F. Kennedy!
Er, okay, the last one is not quite like the others. But it is what JFK gave the monarch the first—and only—time they met in 1961, according to People.
In a visit to Buckingham Palace, the president presented the royal with a photo of himself in a silver Tiffany & Co. frame and signed it: “To Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with appreciation and highest esteem, John F. Kennedy.”
Why so modest, you ask? Well, their first meeting was at a dinner in honor of the American president—not a formal state visit. So an extravagant offering was not just unnecessary but also a breach of decorum. JFK and his wife, Jacqueline, planned to save the real gift giving for their full state visit later on in his presidency.
That tragically never happened. Kennedy was assassinated two years later.
In the decades since, other world leaders have showered the queen with offerings—so much so that, this summer, Buckingham Palace will open an exhibition of the more than 250 gifts she’s received during her reign. Included in this collection, among all the treasures and extravagances, is, indeed, the portrait.
Because maybe, as small as it may seem, JFK’s gift was one after her own heart. It’s been said that the queen, too, gives all visiting dignitaries the same thing—a small, silver-framed, signed photograph of, yes, herself.
This story originally appeared on Vogue.
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