Despite having only held office for a few months, Prime Minister Mark Carney has already received several expensive gifts from world leaders on international visits.
Just days after being sworn in on March 14, Carney embarked on a European tour, stopping in the United Kingdom to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and in France to meet President Emmanuel Macron.
During his meeting in Paris, President Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, presented Carney with a bottle of Château Lynch-Bages 2014, a prestigious red wine from Pauillac, France.
According to Wine-Searcher.com, this vintage averages $208 USD, or approximately $291 CAD—far more than the cost of a typical bottle of red wine.
The Macrons also gifted Carney a bottle of Martell Cordon Bleu Cognac, a premium spirit produced in Cognac, France.
A bottle of the same cognac retails for $292.75 at Ontario’s provincial liquor store, significantly above the price of an average 750ml bottle of cognac.
In addition, President Macron gave Carney a necktie from the French luxury fashion house Hermès.
Known for its high-end apparel and steep price tags, Hermès ties typically cost around $325, with some priced as high as $1,400.
While in London, England, Carney received a laser-engraved crystal bowl featuring the iconic 10 Downing Street door, a gift from Prime Minister Starmer.
Carney disclosed receiving these gifts a week after his European trip. However, no official estimates of their individual or total value were provided. According to public disclosure rules, the prime minister and all Members of Parliament must declare any gift worth $200 or more.
The only other publicly disclosed gifts Carney has received since taking office include a custom Edmonton Oilers jersey and a pair of professional rink pants, given during a visit to an Oilers practice, as well as a silapaaq—a traditional Inuit jacket—presented during his trip to Iqaluit, Nunavut.