Fancy going on holiday and having someone else pick up the bill? Simply become a Royal. As William, Kate and baby George travel New Zealand and Australia for three weeks, it will be the humble taxpayer that covers the cost, not the moneyed royals.
The ten-day trip around New Zealand is now complete, costing Kiwi taxpayers an estimated $1.2 million. The ten-day trip of Australia currently underway is expected to cost Australian taxpayers around $2 million.
That’s right, they go on holiday, and we pay for it. When British royals decide to take an official trip down under, the federal government pays for flights, accommodation, meals, phone calls, minibar bills, and even the presents the royals give out.
It seems the royals aren’t shy of availing themselves of Australian hospitality either. Including this current visit, ten British royals have visited Australia since 2005 – Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Charles, Camilla, Harry, William, Kate and George – with each trip costing between $350,000 and $1.8 million.
And of course it’s not just the royals who have to be paid for – there is a significant entourage that tags along too. The entourage on William, Kate and George’s current trip is made up of 11 people, including three press officers, Kate’s hairdresser, an orderly and a nanny.
The Big Trip
Apart from the return flights from London to Sydney, the group of 14 will not fly on commercial airlines throughout their trip. Instead, they are flown to each city by RAAF plane. It’s estimated that the 16 hours of flight time (at $17,000 per hour) will cost at least $272,000.
On their trip, the royals will tour Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Uluru and the Blue Mountains, staying in official vice-regal mansions in Sydney and Canberra, and official receptions elsewhere around the country.
However, it’s still not clear how much the trip will actually cost. The federal department paying the bills – the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet – is keeping quiet on the details.
“When all costs for the visit have been fully acquitted, the details of those costs are made available to Parliament,” a spokesperson for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet said.
The Big Cost
Certain republicans have had their say on the matter.
Greg Barns, the republican in charge of the Australian Republican Movement’s failed 1999 referendum campaign, said Australians should not pay for royal visits. “These are expensive holidays that are borne by the Australian taxpayer,” he said.
Barns made the point that it’s fitting for the government to cover the cost of government leaders visiting Australia on diplomatic and trade missions, as Australia sees some economic gain from such visits.
However, the royals coming over here are “simply flying the Buckingham Palace flag”. Barns said, “They ought to pay for it. They’re hardly over-taxed. The royal household is worth billions.”
The Big Payoff?
Nevertheless, some believe royal trips offer a level of international exposure that’s simply priceless.
Following the royal trip to New Zealand, NZ Prime Minister John Key said, “If you think about the international exposure New Zealand’s getting, without shadow of a doubt it’s exposure money can’t buy.”
“The focus of more than 120 international reporters and photographers means pictures and stories of New Zealand are being beamed around the world as the royal tour is reported overseas. As Tourism Minister, I know how valuable that is,” Key said.
Tourism NZ general manager Chris Roberts said, “We have seen thousands of articles appear in the press, online and on TV particularly in the UK and USA, but also in markets like Germany, and the coverage has been overwhelmingly positive about the country.”
“The equivalent advertising value of this coverage would run into the tens of millions of dollars.”
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