Nicola Sturgeon has hit back at claims the Scottish Government is planning to cut the Queen's funding.

Buckingham Palace claimed ministers in Edinburgh had backed out of a deal to continue contributing a share of Crown Estate income to the Royals.

But the First Minister has denied the claim in a series of tweets.

She used the social media site to tell followers: "There is absolutely, categorically, no intention by @scotgov to cut S'land's contribution to Sovereign Grant & never has been."

The Scottish Government said Scots would continue to contribute to the the Queen's £42.7 million income through general taxation.

The dispute follows a decision to devolve control over Crown Estate property in Scotland to the Scottish Parliament.

It was claimed the Scottish Government was not willing to pay a share of the £216m revenues from the property, estimated at £2.2m, to the royal family.

The Sovereign Grant is paid by Treasury but is calculated as 15 per cent of overall Crown Estate income.

Ms Sturgeon also denied claims she had snubbed the Queen by not swearing an oath of allegiance when she became an MSP.

The First Minister chose to affirm, rather than swear an oath.

But she said her non-religious affirmation included an oath of allegiance to the Queen.

Her comments came in a Twitter exchange with Chanel 4 news presenter Cathy Newman who claimed in a blog Ms Sturgeon "has been unambiguous about her antipathy towards the Queen".

She advised Ms Sturgeon to resolve the row with the Palace.

Ms Sturgeon told her: "I did not refuse to take an oath of allegiance in 1999.

"The affirmation which I made contains the oath of allegiance."

She called on Ms Newman to correct the blog.