First lady Jill Biden is on her way out of the White House with her husband, President Joe Biden, but she is bringing some expensive gifts with her.
Documents shared by the State Department showed that both she and her husband were showered with thousands of dollars worth of gifts from foreign leaders in 2023, The Daily Caller reported.
“Throughout 2023, the president and his wife were presented with thousands of dollars of gifts from foreign leaders, with the first lady receiving the most expensive gift of the year, a $20,000 diamond, according to annual accounting documents released by the State Department. The 7.5 carat diamond was a gift from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Other pricey gifts the first lady received include a $2,000 Eye of Horus necklace, an Egyptian Wood Inlaid Shell Purse, as well as a $14,063 brooch from the Ukrainian ambassador, the documents show,” the report said.
“On another occasion, the first lady received chairs, a brooch, a photograph album and a bracelet from the president and first lady of Egypt, in total valued at $4,510, the documents show. Kishida Yuko, spouse to the prime minister of Japan, gifted the first lady with calligraphy titled, ‘The Ship in the Sky,’ valued at $2,500, according to the annual accounting documents,” it said.
She was also given another book, a sculpture, and some candy from the First Lady of the Republic of Tunisia, totaling $3,015.
The majority of the gifts she received were sent to the archives but the diamond is being used in the East Wing of the White House. It will be sent to the archives when she leaves.