Thinking about getting King Charles a birthday present? Consider going through his ‘practical’ gift registry

King Charles officially marked 77 years of his life on November 14 — the British sovereign travelled to Wales, origin country of the title he was entrusted with for a rather long time, where he oversaw a new train depot’s inauguration and visited a castle.

On his birthday, besides the occasional cake and some presents from the crowds awaiting his arrival wherever he goes, the King is also expected to receive gifts from those followers who go an extra mile — but not without sidestepping a pathway in between.

Charles’ Clarence House office actually maintains a gift registry for those who wish to reach out with thoughtful presents.

How does that work? A “practical, thoughtful” system is the answer.

The King’s gift registry

According to Jack Stooks, former head gardener at Highgrove, “In the run-up to The King’s birthday, the garden would often receive deliveries of gifts.”

However, Stooks revealed that to deliver presents at King Charles’ country retreat, “they have to go through Clarence House and the official office.”

“They’ll get in touch and say, ‘We’d like to get the King a gift, but we’re not sure what to choose,” he further shared. At which point, the King’s office at his preferred residence will step in with “a gift list, kind of like a wedding registry”, which outlines things that their boss would “actually like or need”.

Furthermore, the list is “not about being extravagant or expecting anything, it’s just a practical, thoughtful system.”

“Like a wedding list, it ensures gifts are useful, appreciated, and won’t go to waste. Honestly, it’s a great idea,” he added.

‘What do you give the person who has everything?’

Jack Stooks and Grant Harrold, the King’s former butler, present matching testimonies about which presents their royal employer “would always ask for”.

After remarking, “That's the question. What do you give the person who has everything?” Harrold told The Mirror that Charles “would always ask for things for the garden.”

“He’s previously asked for benches, plants, and trees. Gardening is his real passion,” he added. While the former Highgrove gardener agreed with his claim and revealed, “That’s what he tends to put on his list.”

“He would ask for trees, shrubs, roses, hedging. He would plant them at one of the royal gardens, either Clarence House, Buckingham Palace, Windsor, Sandringham, or up in Scotland,” shared Stooks.

Presents from the King’s famous admirers

Excluding King Charles’ many supporters among the public, a few well known people have also been known to extend their heartfelt offerings on the occasion of his birthday.

“Elton John gave him an Indian bean tree, a golden Indian bean tree that used to grow at Highgrove, which unfortunately has now died,” Stooks revealed. “Pierce Brosnan and his wife gave the King a Magnolia. The King planted it in the apple orchard by the Orchard Room; it’s a massive tree now.”

Other presents include a “snakes-head fritillaria” from the musician Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler — “I think it's such a nice idea to have the kind of gift giving that keeps on giving year after year with flowers, trees, with other people enjoying it as well,” added the former royal staffer.