Where Did Queen Elizabeth II Get Her Money, And What Was Her Net Worth?
Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8, 2022, leaving behind a substantial fortune, but how much did she really have?
Her finances came under more scrutiny when Prince Andrew settled his sexual assault case> It was reported that his mother financially assisted with the $12 million sum he agreed to pay Virginia Giuffre.
But where did the monarch really get her money—and what was Queen Elizabeth II's net worth?
Related: See Photos of Queen Elizabeth II Through the Years
What was Queen Elizabeth II's net worth?
The queen's personal net worth was estimated to be anywhere between $447 million to $500 million to $600 million, depending on the source. She had a vast amount of personal wealth that she inherited from her father King George VI. This was a source of her independent wealth that did not come from British taxpayers (though much of it did come from colonization and profiting off of the invasion of foreign countries).
Amassed in her portfolio of assets are properties that include Balmoral Castle ($140 million) and the Sandringham estate ($65 million), fruit and stud farms and marine land across the UK, and her personal jewelry collection.
Related: How Long Was Elizabeth Queen?
She inherited some assets from her mother's $94 million estate when the Queen Mother died in 2002, which included priceless works of art, Faberge eggs, jewelry and horses.
The queen also inherited a lot of her late husband Prince Philip's estate, thought to be worth $30 million.
Then there's the annual Sovereign Grant, an allowance that the government provided to the queen based on profits from the Crown Estate, a collection of lands and holdings in the United Kingdom belonging to the British monarch. In 2020 the profits from the Crown Estate were $475 million, of which the royal family got 25 percent.
The queen did have another source of personal wealth: the Privy Purse, which is passed down from sovereign to sovereign. Its funding comes from the Duchy of Lancaster, a vast collection of landholdings including 45,700 acres of farmland in North England and the land on which London's Savoy Hotel is located.
Town & Country reported that in 2020 profits from the Duchy of Lancaster "hit a record $30 million."
Related: Where Will Queen Elizabeth II Be Buried?
How much is the royal family worth?
According to Forbes, the "Firm" is worth an eye-watering $28 billion when various properties that belong to the monarch but cannot be sold are taken into account.
They include the Crown Estate (worth $19.5 billion), Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster ($1.3 billion and $748 million respectively) and Kensington Palace ($630 million) where Prince William, Duchess Kate and their children occupied Apartment 1A.
Related: 20 Facts About Queen Elizabeth II
How much is Buckingham Palace worth?
Buckingham Palace is one of the most valuable homes occupied by the royal family, estimated to be worth $4.9 billion.
A study found that it would take the average British home buyer 44,000 years to pay off a mortgage on the property.
The 775-room palace is one of the assets that technically belonged to the reigning monarch, but is held in trust by the Crown Estate. Buckingham Palace will pass to King Charles following the Queen's death (with reports suggesting that he intends to turn it into a museum rather than live there himself).
Related: Everything You Need to Know About the Royal Family Tree and the Line of Succession
Who is the richest queen in the world?
Queen Elizabeth II was the richest queen in the world, but she was not the richest monarch. That honor goes to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, whose net worth is estimated at $30 billion.
Related: Find Out More About Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth's Four Children
How much is the queen's stamp collection worth?
You may be surprised to know that one of the queen's most valuable assets was the world's oldest stamp collection, which she inherited from her grandfather. The Royal Philatelic Collection's estimated worth is $134 million.
Next, find out 10 things that will happen when Queen Elizabeth dies.
