Posted by karenl on November 5, 2014, 11:45 pm, in reply to "Re: Soviet gifts?"
Very true Arthur. We all know that members and leaders of the Communist Party in lived very lavish life styles that, indeed, would rival the Tsar's or any Monarch. Arthur is correct that Krushchev's gifts were promote good will among Great Britain and the Soviet Union. I can recall when he lavished gifts upon Mrs. Kennedy when her husband was President and he made an official visit. I've read that President Krushchev was smitten with Mrs. Kennedy. Most leaders who met her were half in love with her after meeting her due to her charm, elegance and warmth. She even won over President de Gaulle with her charm and speaking French with him. Sorry Arthur, I had to get that in. No offense I hope. As for the Communist countries the upper Party members live the high life and their wives/girlfriends/mistresses can often be seen sporting fantastic jewels. As Orwell wrote, "We are all equal, some of us are more equal than others." --Previous Message-- : All State visits include the exchange of : official gifts which are more or less : lavish. I guess that the State Visits from : leaders of countries of the former Communist : "Eastern block" were not an : exception, in this regard. : : Nevertheless, Queen Elizabeth II very rarely : met such Communist leaders. Nicolae : Ceaucescu was the only Communist president : ever received in State visit in Britain : (source: : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_state_visits_received_by_Queen_Elizabeth_II : ). Khrushchev's visit in 1956 was not a : State visit, but an official visit. : : And Queen Elizabeth II never visited the : "Eastern block" before 1993 (so, : after the collapse of the "Iron : Curtain" and of the Communist : dictatorships), the only exception being : Yugoslavia in 1972 (but Marshal Tito had a : rather independent policy towards the USSR). : She also visited China in 1986 (source: : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_state_visits_made_by_Queen_Elizabeth_II : ). : : So the gifts from Communist leaders must be : very rare in the Royal Collection. : I don't know what official gifts Ceaucescu : and Tito presented to Queen Elizabeth II, : but as Romania and Yugoslavia have/had : little gem mines, I assume these gifts were : not jewels. : : Khrushchev's gifts in 1956 were particularly : lavish (despite the fact that his visit was : only an official visit, and not a State : visit), precisely because it was the first : visit by a Soviet leader to London (and to a : Western capital) since the Bolshevik : revolution in 1917, and because he wanted to : develop warmer relations with Western : countries after the ice-cold relations of : the post-WW2 Stalinist era (but the : relations turned again very cold with the : Hungarian and Suez crisis later in 1956, the : Berlin crisis in 1961 and the Cuban crisis : in 1962). Gifting the Queen and the Royal : Family with priceless presents was probably : a diplomatic way to express his respect : towards his host and Britain - in the hope : to gain their sympathy in return. : : I do not know if other Queens or Princesses : received jewels from Soviet leaders like : Queen Elizabeth II. If I well remember, King : Baudouin and Queen Fabiola, King Carl XVI : Gustaf and Queen Silvia, and King Juan : Carlos and Queen Sofia paid State or : official visits to the USSR. : : :
on November 5, 2014, 11:45 pm, in reply to "
