Château-Chinon unveils the astonishing gifts of President François Mitterrand

Château-Chinon déballe les étonnants cadeaux du président François Mitterrand

The Cité des présents-François Mitterrand, formerly the Musée du Septennat, has reopened in Château-Chinon, France, after a renovation. The museum displays thousands of diplomatic gifts received by President François Mitterrand during his 14-year tenure (1981–1995), including a portrait of Prince Charles, a vermeil oasis from the king of Saudi Arabia, and taxidermy lions from the Central African Republic. The collection of 4,800 objects spans 80 countries, with one-third donated by French citizens. The site also houses a fashion museum featuring 5,000 pieces from the 17th century to contemporary designers like Alexis Mabille and Yves Saint Laurent.

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President Donald Trump sought a gift for King Charles during a state visit last month, prompting his administration to request a sword from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home in Abilene, Kansas. The library refused to release the sword—a 1947 gift from Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands—citing federal law that requires preserving original artifacts for the American public. Trump instead gave King Charles a replica of Eisenhower’s West Point Officer’s Sabre. Subsequently, library director Todd Arrington was forced to resign after being told he could no longer be trusted with confidential information, a move he believes may have been linked to his refusal to hand over the artifact.