What happens to Queen Elizabeth’s personal assets worth US$500 million?
- The late monarch’s personal fortune from castles, jewels and more will be inherited by King Charles
- She received income through a taxpayer fund that is used to maintain royal palaces and royal duties such as receptions and travel
Queen Elizabeth died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle, her estate in Scotland, at 96.
The castle is just one of the assets the queen leaves after 70 years on the throne. Her personal assets from investments, real estate, jewels and more have an estimated worth of US$500 million, according to Forbes magazine. The entire royal family was estimated to be worth at least US$88 billion as of 2017.
The financing that makes up the wealth behind the crown is complex. Here’s a breakdown of how much her majesty was worth, where the money came from and where it may go:
How rich was the queen?
The British monarchy was valued at roughly US$88 billion in 2017, according to brand valuation consultancy firm Brand Finance.
Elizabeth’s personal wealth is closer to US$500 million from investments, art, jewels and real estate, according to a 2021 estimate from Forbes.
But the queen’s true net worth has never been disclosed. The Guardian reported last year that the queen successfully lobbied the British government in the 1970s to change a draft law to conceal her private wealth from the public, claiming the disclosure would be embarrassing.
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace told BBC that “any assertion that the sovereign has blocked legislation is simply incorrect.”