Here's why every Australian can request, and receive, a free portrait of King Charles

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Hours before King Charles III was due to arrive in Australia last week, lawmaker Patrick Gorman posted on social media offering free printed portraits of the British royal for any constituents who visited his office in Perth to claim one.

Gorman, an assistant minister in Australia's federal government, told The Associated Press that ''a number'' of eager constituents sought a portrait.

The photos of King Charles are available under a little-known government policy that allows every Australian to request, and receive, a portrait of their monarch.

It's unusual in a nation where leaders are increasingly ambivalent about the British royals as Australia's heads of state.

Elsewhere, British institutions can apply for portraits of King Charles, but individuals usually cannot. In New Zealand, free portraits are available for digital download only. Canadians can receive a printed copy from a monarchist organization if they pay for postage.

But Australians can visit their federal representative's office and ask for one.

Demand spiked for portraits of Queen Elizabeth II following her death in 2022.

That portrait was provided to Australia this July. Since then, more than 17,000 copies have been distributed to lawmakers, the Department of Finance told the AP.

Numbers were not available for how many had been requested by the public.

Lawmakers, at times exasperated, can field dozens of requests each time the program is publicized.

Tim Watts, now associate minister for foreign affairs, wrote on social media in 2018 — during a jump in demand following news coverage of the scheme — that fulfilling requests for portraits was ''comfortably the dumbest part of my job.''

But while those seeking the images might at times, as Watts noted, have their ''tongue firmly in cheek," Gorman said there was legitimate interest, too.