Kent-made desk a potential choice for President Trump

Upon Donald Trump’s return to the White House as US president in January, he might occupy a desk crafted in Kent. The Resolute desk stands as one of six options available to presidents. Its construction took place at Chatham Dockyard, utilizing timbers from HMS Resolute, a Victorian vessel significant in the annals of polar exploration. The ship participated in an expedition dispatched in 1852 to locate Sir John Franklin, who disappeared during his attempt to discover the North West Passage. According to Nick Ball, the collections, galleries, and interpretation manager at the Historic Dockyard, Chatham, HMS Resolute became ice-bound, leading to its abandonment, before an American whaling ship subsequently discovered it. Ball explained, “They took it back to America where the American government gave it back to Queen Victoria as a gift. It was the start of the special relationship between the two countries because, for a long time, relationships had been fraught.” He further elaborated, “The ship never left England again and eventually, when it was broken up, the timbers were reused and the desk was constructed in Chatham. Queen Victoria then gave this as a gift to America.” He added, “Most famously it was used by President Kennedy, with a famous shot of his son peering out from underneath.” Mr Ball also mentioned, “There’s another piece of Chatham history in the White House too – a pen holder made here in 2009 and given to Obama.” Readers can connect with BBC Kent on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas may be submitted to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp at 08081 002250. This content is copyrighted by BBC 2024. All rights are reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding its external linking policy is available.