King Charles III and Queen Camilla are on a four-day state visit to improve diplomatic ties between the U.K. and the U.S. amidst the Iran war chaos. The two spent time with Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.
Their visit included a red carpet welcome, checking out the White House beehive, tea at the British embassy, several speeches, and gift exchanges. One of the most prominent gifts was from King Charles to Trump to symbolize the current dynamics between the two countries.
Charles gifted Trump a bell from the HMS Trump, which was a World War II submarine. He said, “I’m delighted to present to you the original bell which hung on the conning tower of your valiant namesake. May it stand as a testimony to our nation’s shared history and shining future. Should you ever need to get hold of us, just give us a ring.”
#WATCH | King Charles III gifts the bell from HMS Trump to US President Donald Trump, symbolising shared wartime history and future ties, in an address that sparked laughter from the audience @RoyalFamily @realDonaldTrump #USA pic.twitter.com/Ww51sASvZD
— ET NOW (@ETNOWlive) April 29, 2026
The guests ended up laughing at this statement. The large golden bell has TRUMP written on it with the 1944 inscription. Needless to say, Trump loved golden decor as seen in White House design upgrades.
According to historical facts and Military.com, the bell isn’t named after a person, so it does not have a connection to the president. The bell was a part of the Royal Navy vessel T-class diesel-electric submarine in the 1940s.
Buckingham Palace called the bell a symbol of friendship between the nations. The last day of the royal visit is to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American Independence Day.
Meanwhile, Camilla gifted Melania a brooch by British designer Fiona Rae. Melania chose six Tiffany’s English King sterling silver teaspoons as the gift. The royals will also be taking home honey from the White House.
'Should you ever need to get hold of us… just give us a ring.'
King Charles presents President Trump with the original bell from the conning tower of HMS Trump. pic.twitter.com/zS3ctDLiwY
— GB News (@GBNEWS) April 29, 2026
Trump presented Charles with a custom replica of a letter written from former U.S. president John Adams to fellow Founding Father John Jay in 1785. Charles also gifted the president a framed facsimile, or replica, of the 1879 design plans for the Resolute Desk. This is the same desk that has been carved using timbers from the British exploration ship HMS Resolute.
Charles’ speech had a few light digs aimed at Trump’s ballroom project. He joked about the British troops trying to set fire to the White House. He also joked about Trump taking credit for the U.S.’ role in World War III. Trump and the first lady nodded and smiled as Charles delivered his speech and also made sure to thank them for the dinner and warm welcome.
