Throughout history, rulers have celebrated their marriages with elaborate gifts, ranging from priceless tiaras and ancient antiques to foreign territories and valuable trading rights. But while a parade of splendor coming from all corners of the world seems to be wonderfully royal, this kind of celebration belongs to the weddings of the past, rather than the present day.

For example, Prince William and Kate Middleton asked well-wishers to send charity donations instead of candlesticks and bric-a-brac when they were married in 2011, and last month, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they would be requesting the same for their own wedding. They have chosen seven small charities that represent causes they are passionate about, including women’s empowerment in developing countries, homelessness, children growing up with HIV, and protecting the environment from waste.

But that’s not to say that the couple won’t receive their share of material gifts anyway- Gift-giving has long been used as a diplomatic gesture by monarchs and heads of state. It can be used to transfer wealth between families, symbolize a special bond, signify an open table, or it could further deepen a relationship.

One might consider the wedding of Charles II and Catherine of Braganza in 1661. The marriage was a union between England and Portugal, and would renew the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of 1373 which had been disrupted by Austrian Habsburg rule in Portugal. To help cement the alliance between the two countries, Portugal gifted the English royal family the cities of Bombay in India and Tangiers in Africa, along with the rights to free trade with Brazil and the East Indies. While that’s not as easy to box as a jumble of precious stones, the dowry was appreciated.

The Portuguese princess also brought a present of her own to England: Catherine is widely credited with making teatime popular among polite society, taking the little-known drink and turning it into a staple among the wealthy.

Almost three centuries later, when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married in 1947, the palace throne room overflowed with gifts not just from the two families, but from leaders around the world. Crystal candlesticks from Sweden, porcelain horse figurines from West Germany, clocks from Switzerland, and carpets from India sat side by side as international gestures of goodwill. Even Pope Pius XII joined the celebration, sending a Victorian-era chocolate pot for the couple to entertain with.

However, some gifts were more curious than others. From the people of Kenya, for example, the couple received a cedar log cabin in Sagana, where Queen Elizabeth, then a princess, learned of her father’s passing and her ascension to the throne in 1951. With this, I hope you’ve learned more about royal wedding gifts and of the diplomatic power that comes with gift-giving.