What do we know about the Queen's wealth? Who gets her residences now? (2024)

Queen Elizabeth II'spersonal wealth wasestimated to be more than $734million before her death.

But getting an exact figure on the late monarch's wealth is difficult, because it comes from a combination of public and private assets.

Unlike other families in the United Kingdom, seniorroyals don't have to make their wills public — soit's likely we willnever know exactlyhow much she was worth.

What do we know about the Queen's wealth? Who gets her residences now? (1)

However, we do know who will inherit some ofher vast fortune.

But first let's break down the three sources of the monarch's fortune and sources of income.

1. Queen Elizabeth II's personal wealth

Of all the ways the monarch makes money, this is the most difficult to pin down.

It includesthe Queen'sinvestments, properties, art, jewels and racehorses among the other items that the she privately owned and was under no obligation to report.

All we can do is rely on estimates.

Britain's Sunday Times newspaper estimated her net worth was $637 million earlier this year, while Forbes has her worth closer to $734 million.

For what it's worth, Forbes estimates that the royal family — sometimes called The Firm—is worth about $28 billion.

What do we know about the Queen's wealth? Who gets her residences now? (2)

Outside of her holdings and investments, the Queen's lifelong passion for horses reportedly made her millions.

Estimates from 2017 put her lifetime prize money won from racing at about $12 million.

There's twobig ticket properties that were privately owned by the Queen:Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House.

What do we know about the Queen's wealth? Who gets her residences now? (3)

She inherited both properties from her parents.

Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, purchased Balmoral Castle, which sits on a 20,000-hectare estate, from aScottish family in 1852.

The Queen's great-grandfatherKing Edward VII bought Sandringham House, which sits on roughly 3,200 hectares, in1862.

Both have remained in the family since.

They are now owned by the Queen's son, King Charles III.

What do we know about the Queen's wealth? Who gets her residences now? (4)

2. The Duchy of Lancaster

The Duchy of Lancaster is a private collection of property, land and investments which dates back to 1265.

It includes blocks of property in central London and 10 castles, as well as farmland, homes, quarries, golf courses and commercial premises across England and Wales.

What do we know about the Queen's wealth? Who gets her residences now? (5)

The Queen was not required to pay tax on the income, but she has contributed a voluntaryamount since 1993.

This year the Duchy of Lancaster reported it hadhad $1.1 billioninnet assets under its control, which delivered a net surplus of $40 million.

The main sources of income came from commercial property (63 per cent), agriculture(20 per cent) and finance(9 per cent).

3. The Crown Estate

The Crown Estate includes world-famous possessions.

It includes thepropertiesand items that tourists travel across the globe to see such asBuckingham Palace, Windsor Castle,the Crown Jewels and the Royal Collection.

What do we know about the Queen's wealth? Who gets her residences now? (6)

These are kept by the Monarchon behalf of the nation, which means they are not the property of the UK governmentor part ofthe sovereign's private estate.

They are part of the hereditary possessions of the sovereign "in right of the Crown".

It's a collectionof lands and holdings that make up one of the main sources of income for the royal family.

These include shopping centres, retail areas and buildings.

One of the lesser-known properties owned by The Crown Estateincludes virtually all ofthe United Kingdom's seabed.

It's all overseen as an independent commercial business run by a board of eight people who are approved by the monarch on the advice of the UK prime minister.

Those eight peoplemanageassets with a combined value of $25.95 billion with the aim of enhancing its value.

What do we know about the Queen's wealth? Who gets her residences now? (7)

In 2021, the Crown Estate made a net income of $459.66 million.

This is then split up, with 75 per cent going totheUK treasury and 25 per cent to the monarch.

The quarter paid to the royals is known as the Sovereign Grant, which funds the upkeep of palaces and expenses of royal duties.

Last year, the Sovereign Grant was$147 million, which works out to be about $2.20 per person in the United Kingdom.

Australia does not directlyfund the monarchy.

So, what doKing Charles and the rest of the royal family inherit?

Like his mother before him, King Charles will inherit The Crown Estate and the Duchy of Lancaster.

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Prince Williamand his wife Catherinewill inherit the Duchy of Cornwall, which was set up by KingEdward III in 1337 to provide independence to hisheir.

The Duchy of Cornwall has beenpassed on to the heir to the throne who, up until Queen Elizabeth's death, was King Charles.

Itwill now be passed to Prince William and Catherinedue to their promotion to Prince and Princess of Wales.

The prized estate, which is made up of 53,000 hectares of land in 23 counties, has a net worth reportedlyabove $1.6 billion.

What do we know about the Queen's wealth? Who gets her residences now? (9)

The vast amount of wealth passing hands between the royals will betax-free.

The 40 per cent levy on property valued at more than $548,000 for constituents of the United Kingdom does not apply to the royal family.

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What do we know about the Queen's wealth? Who gets her residences now? (2024)

FAQs

What do we know about the Queen's wealth? Who gets her residences now? ›

After Queen Elizabeth's death, various royals will split up her estate and $447 million fortune. Some $447 million of Queen Elizabeth's personal money should be going to her family. Charles is expected to live in Buckingham Palace once he becomes king.

Who inherits Queen Elizabeth's money? ›

Queen Elizabeth is believed to have left an estate worth approximately 782 million dollars solely to her son, King Charles. King Charles' inheritance from his mother will not be taxed due to the fact that money exchanged from "monarch to monarch" is exempt from taxation.

How much did Kate Middleton inherit from the Queen? ›

While Kate inherited $110 million in jewelry from the Queen, that collection did not include the Spencer tiara, a diamond-encrusted crown inherited by William's late mother, Princess Diana, in the mid-1970s. Diana wore the tiara in her wedding to King Charles—then Prince Charles—in 1981.

Who will inherit Balmoral Castle? ›

It was also used by Queen Elizabeth II in the first few days of her annual summer holiday in Scotland, while Balmoral Castle was being prepared for her extended stay. Upon her death, her son King Charles III inherited the lodge in September 2022.

Who owns Windsor Castle now? ›

It is managed by Crown Estate and may not be sold pr given away. The UK State owns Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, Holyrood Palace, St James'Palace and Kensington Palace. The Royal's own a few smaller properties such as Highgrove, and they also own Balmoral in Deneside, and Sandringham in Norfolk.

Did Prince Philip leave any money to Harry? ›

Harry and William were never going to receive an inheritance in Philip's will. Although the contents of Prince Philip's will have been sealed, as with other Royal wills, apart from a few small personal gifts his estate will have gone to the Queen, thus avoiding inheritance tax.

Did Harry receive inheritance from the Queen? ›

However, the brothers did not gain access to the funds until they reached their 20s. Additionally, it was revealed that Prince Harry received a larger inheritance from their great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, after her passing in 2002.

Did Meghan get any of the Queen's jewelry? ›

Meghan is still duch*ess of Sussex, but has no right to borrow the royal tiaras and gems the way her rivals do. All Meghan has is a pair of modest pearl and diamond earrings that Queen Elizabeth gave her.

What did Princess Anne inherit from the Queen? ›

Most recently, she inherited Queen Elizabeth's iconic three-strand pearl necklace, valued at around £1 million. Other Ventures: Over the years, Anne has held various honorary positions and presidencies in organizations such as the Fédération Equestre Internationale, BAFTA, and the Royal Society of Arts.

How much did Harry inherit from Diana? ›

When Diana died in August 1997, Harry — and his older brother, Prince William — received millions in inheritance that resided in a trust until they came of age. How much? Approximately £10 million, or $13.8 million, which reportedly worked out to $10 million after taxes.

Is William a billionaire? ›

CelebrityNetWorth has pegged the net worth of Prince William, next in line to the throne, at $100 million.

Will Camilla inherit Charles' money? ›

While Camilla would no longer be one of the main beneficiaries of the grant following Charles' death, she could continue to receive payments as long as she remains a working member of the royal family.

How rich is Prince William? ›

Prince William's net worth

All in all, the most reliable internet estimates put William's current net worth at $100 million (£80m), up from $40 million (£32m) in 2022 before he was passed the Duchy of Cornwall.

Who lives in Frogmore Cottage now? ›

Princess Eugenie, her husband Jack Brooksbank and their newborn son August are living at Frogmore Cottage, together with whatever staff they have. It never belonged to Prince Harry and the duch*ess of Sussex; they rented it. It belongs to the Crown.

Who lives in the cottages at Windsor Castle? ›

Adelaide Cottage (formerly known as Adelaide Lodge) is a house in Windsor Home Park just east of Windsor Castle, in Berkshire. Built in 1831 for Queen Adelaide, it is currently the principal residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales. An 1839 rendering of the cottage as originally built.

Does anyone live in Buckingham Palace? ›

The King and Queen could live there but Buckingham Palace is having a lot of work done to it so apart from offices, no one lives there now. It was from Queen Victorias time the Monarchs home in London.

Did Meghan Markle get any jewelry from Queen Elizabeth? ›

For her wedding to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle chose a very special piece from Queen Elizabeth's spectacular jewelry box: the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau tiara.

How much did Charles inherit from the Queen? ›

King Charles III has avoided paying millions in inheritance tax on the Duchy of Lancaster estate due to an old rule designed to protect the Royal Family's wealth. His Majesty automatically inherited the estate, worth over £652 million, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

What happens to Queen Elizabeth's wealth? ›

The Crown Estate will now belong to King Charles III as the country's reigning monarch, but there's a catch: It's not considered his private property because it is held in trust. That means he can't sell the assets.

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