Fit For A Queen
Homewares, wine and jewellery. These are things we usually think of for wedding gifts. Royal weddings aren’t typical weddings, however, and the wedding of Princess Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Greece in 1947 was marked with a very special gift from the Queensland Government.
Wedding gift of 500 cases of canned pineapples, made to HRH Princess Elizabeth (1947-01-01/1947-12-31) by Premier and Chief Secretary's DepartmentQueensland State Archives
With post-war Britain suffering shortages in many important products, the Agent-General in London put out a request for foodstuffs instead of more traditional wedding gifts for the upcoming nuptials.
Golden Circle canned pineapple label (1947-01-04/1948-01-03) by Premier and Chief Secretary's DepartmentQueensland State Archives
Queensland answered this request with confidence, gifting the newlywed royals 500 cases of an iconic Queensland commodity...
... tinned pineapples!
A letter regarding the wedding gift sent from Queensland Government to HRH Princess Elizabeth (1948-01-13/1948-01-13) by Premier and Chief Secretary's DepartmentQueensland State Archives
Surely this is more pineapple than one couple could possibly eat in an entire lifetime? Recognising this, the tins of pineapple were distributed ‘as the Princess Elizabeth desires’ to British families in need.
Wedding gift canned pineapples, made to HRH Princess Elizabeth (1947-01-02/1948-01-01) by Premier and Chief Secretary's DepartmentQueensland State Archives
Aside from the pineapples, the Queensland Government also gifted the couple a fumed maple cigarette box and the Brisbane City Council chipped in with an extravagant opal pendant and a set of earrings from Lightning Ridge.
