The Royal Family's Gift Registry Is Full of Surprises

5. Three Marble Seals

Given to the Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth Given by: Wee Kim Wee, the president of Singapore; estimated value: not known Three marble seals, each with a distinctive design, were given to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip by Singaporean President Wee Kim Wee in October 1989. The two smaller rectangular seals were personalised and stood upright. Prince Philip had one made for her, and Queen Elizabeth had the other.

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A trio of marble seals © Tim Graham via Getty Photos The larger of the three, with a Chinese guardian lion on top (dragons on top for the lesser two), was intended for the general head of state. East Asian calligraphy is used in seal engraving, and each seal engraving is typically unique to the recipient.

6. An iPod

Given to: Elizabeth II, the queen Given by: The Obamas Estimated worth: $199* Though it seems so strange to consider it today, for many of us in 2009, iPods remained the greatest gift that money could buy. These days, smartphones can double as both music players and communication tools, but things are not always like that.

Queen Elizabeth II, First Lady Michelle Obama, and President Barack Obama ©Ben Gurr, Getty Images/WPA Pool That year, Apple received positive publicity when Her Majesty was given a high-end iPod by Barack and Michelle Obama, complete with a specially recorded version of Her Majesty's inauguration speech. Was Liz ever able to hear it? We'll never be aware of it.