Exhibition of unique gifts at Palace - 15/04/09

A number of unusual gifts presented to the Queen while on visits around the Commonwealth - including totem poles, a whale's tooth and a carved wooden throne - will be on display at Buckingham Palace over the summer.

The exhibit of more than 100 items given to her majesty and Prince Philip will be present during the opening of the Palace's state rooms and marks the 60th anniversary of the modern Commonwealth.

The display of unique gifts will be joined by archive material, photographs and film footage to create a detailed picture of the Queen's official travels. It will include unusual presents such as an Aboriginal carving of a dugong or seacow, totem poles from British Colombia, a whale's tooth from Fiji, a carved wooden throne from the King of the Ashanti and a silk scarf given to the Queen by Nelson Mandela in 1995.

The Commonwealth was formed in 1949 when eight countries - Australia, Britain, Ceylon, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Canada - signed the Declaration of London. In 1953, the Commonwealth began its expansion with Ghana and continued until it comprised 53 member nations and nearly two billion people.

Exhibition of unique gifts at Palace - 15/04/09

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