Royal Visits: Why the Queen was given two dead ducks during a visit to Jersey

  • Queen Elizabeth II was presented with two dead mallards on a visit to Jersey in 2001

The Queen was often presented with gifts by members of the public, but one gift would have stood out as particularly memorable.

During a visit to Jersey in 2001, Her Majesty was presented with two dead ducks on a silver platter.

The unusual offering was presented by Steve Morgan, the Seigneur of Trinity, who knelt on a red velvet stool and spoke French as the Queen looked bemused at the tribute.

The Queen touched the silver platter to acknowledge the gift, but she avoided touching the ducks themselves. Credit: PA Images

A live cow was also supposed to be presented, but an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease meant this gift had to be cancelled.

The archaic ceremony dates back 800 years when the Seigneur was expected to pay homage to the Duke of Normandy.

Mallards are a protected species in Jersey, so the pair were imported from France so they could be given as a tribute.

The presentation took place in Howard Davis Park, where a special sitting of the States of Jersey parliament had been called to renew islanders' allegiance to the Crown.

A similar gift was also offered to the Queen on several previous visits to the island.

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