The Royal Household paid for the thank you gifts the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh bestowed during their visit to Australia.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson says a news report that claims Australian taxpayers footed the bill for the thank you gifts was incorrect.
“The Royal Household pays for gifts given by The Queen – not Australian taxpayers,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The news report said the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh presented personal gifts to more than 40 people during their 2011 visit, at a cost of $14,829 to the Australian taxpayer.
The report quoted an unnamed spokesman from the Prime Minister’s office saying that “consistent with longstanding practice”, the Australian government will meet the costs of gifts presented by the Queen.
Comment was being sought from the prime minister’s office.
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