Queen's gifts from New Zealand on show 

Source: ONE NewsPart of the exhibition at Buckingham palace of gifts presented to the Queen over 50 years of royal tours

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Fabulous jewellery, delicately crafted ornaments and whale's teeth are just some of the weird and wonderful gifts presented to the Queen over 50 years of royal tours.

A special exhibition of all the presents, including New Zealand contributions is on show in London.

The Queen's first royal tour of the Commonwealth in 1953 took seven months and covered 13 countries.

And everywhere she was given gifts like a feather cloak in New Zealand.

"As soon as she was presented with it, it was put on her shoulders which I believe is the custom. It's the symbol of chieftainship in Maori culture and on her subsequent visits to New Zealand she's always taken it with her," says Caroline de Guitaut, the exhibition curator.

The Buckingham Palace exhibition covers 53 years of royal gifts - African masks, sperm whale teeth from Fiji, a crocodile from Papua New Guinea, a chess set given by Nelson Mandela, a Greenstone mere and a diamond encrusted brooch from New Zealand.

Also on display are the Queen's dresses, including the one she wore to open the New Zealand parliament in 1954. Many of them were never worn again.

"If it's appropriate her majesty will re-wear a dress," says de Guitaut, conceding that is "not terribly often".

What is not on display at Buckingham Palace for obvious reasons are the animals presented as gifts, a jaguar, a sloth, two beavers from Canada, giant turtles, a boa constrictor and an elephant named Jumbo. They are all at the London Zoo.

And the Queen was also showered with gifts of food where ever she went.

"On the first visit to Australia in 1954, five tons of dried fruit were given to the Queen. And luckily of course she was onboard the Gothic, the big steam ship, and the fruit was brought back here and it was distributed to children's societies," says de Guitaut.

And what did the Queen make of the exhibition? Well she's said to be delighted by it.