When the Queen was presented with ceremonial gifts during a visit to China in 1986, her officials were tasked with arranging their safe transit to Britain.

In the case of a 60-year-old bonsai tree, that was easier said than done.

Newly released documents have disclosed the comical lengths to which our man in Peking went in order to get the tree from China to Windsor in one piece - including first class travel (for the tree, but not the people accompanying it), a police motorcade, a personal security guard, and a welcome delegation of executives from British Airways.

The tree - later nicknamed 'Jack' - was a gift from the Governor of Guangdong and the plan was to put it on the Queen's Flight to Hong Kong for the next leg of the trip.