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| Resolute Desk Courtesy White House Historical Association |
King Charles III on his recent visit to the United States presented President Donald J. Trump with a framed facsimile of the design plans of the Resolute Desk, a partner desk, constructed by Master Carpenter William Evenden from the white oak and mahogany timbers that were once part of the HMS Resolute ship. The original plans, are held by the Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London.
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| King Charles III during U.S. Visit Courtesy of United Kingdom |
The HMS Resolute was part of an arctic expedition in search of Sir John Franklin, who along with his crew had disappeared during an expedition in search of the Northwest Passage. The Resolute and several other ships became locked in the ice. The officers and crew made it back to England after a harrowing trip over the ice.
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| HMS Resolute Courtesy of United Kingdom |
In 1855, the HMS Resolute was discovered by an American whaler. She was adrift in open waters after the summer thaw. She was some 1200 miles from where she had been abandoned. Congress appropriated the funds to refit the ship and return her to England. She was given as a gift of friendship to Queen Victoria.
In 1879, the HMS Resolute was decommissioned. Queen Victoria requested a desk be made from her timbers and presented to President Rutherford B. Hayes. He placed it in his second floor personal study. It is topped with embossed leather and features heavily carved panels. A plaque details its history and creation.
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| JFK and John Jr, at the Resolute Desk |
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
When the Oval Office was constructed, U.S. Presidents, with few exceptions, have used the desk. President Donald J. Trump had it removed temporarily for refurbishing in February 2025
A replica of the desk can be viewed at the Hayes Presidential Library and Museums and at other presidential libraries.
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