Prince Charles has been a frequent recipient of funny hats when abroad and has been advised not to wear them in front of photographers as they tend to make him look silly.

According to the rules, official gifts may be worn or used, but are not considered personal property, cannot be sold or exchanged and must eventually go into the Royal Collection, which is held in trust by the Queen for her successors and the nation. An official list released on Saturday showed that Charles and Camilla received more gifts during their visits to Middle Eastern regions than in the US. The Duchess returned from the Gulf laden with expensive jewellery and perfumes, while a tour of the US yielded baseball caps, chutney and honey. Camilla was given numerous items of jewellery during a ten-day tour in February of the Gulf states, whose royal families are known for showering VIPs with lavish gifts.

She came away with a necklace, a brooch and a belt from the royal family of Kuwait, as well as another necklace and four glass bottles of perfume from the royal family of Qatar. The Qatari royals also presented her with two black abayas, full-length Islamic robes and veils worn by Muslim women.

The royal family of Bahrain gave the Duchess a watch, a bracelet and a silver box with a pearl inset. When the Prince and his wife visited Uganda in November, the Duchess received a necklace. The prince was given a watch by the royal family of Kuwait and a pistol from the commandant of the state’s military staff college. The total cost of the presents is not known, but past trips have seen the Duchess receive pieces, reported to be worth in excess of 1 million pounds.