Upon her death on September 8th, 2022 at age 96, Queen Elizabeth II left behind a massive fortune.
It's no secret that the royal family is, well, super wealthy (and it doesn't take too many episodes of The Crown to confirm that fact).
From elegant tiaras to expansive wardrobes, there's no end to the number of perks a member of the royal family might receive. And the properties? Castles, estates, and more fill the British royals' portfolios.
The Queen passed away at one of her many residences, Balmoral Castle, which is said to be worth $140 million alone.
But Balmoral is just one of the many assets that make up the monarch's hefty net worth. And yes, she did get paid to rule, too.
Here's everything you need to know about the Queen's sizable fortune—and what will happen to it after her death:
The Queen owned a lot of expensive properties.
Much of the Queen's wealth came from the properties she owned, like the $140 million Balmoral Castle and the $65 million Sandringham House. She also owned marine land all around the United Kingdom, as well as some farms, according to Reader's Digest. The Queen inherited all of her estates from her father (King George VI, for anyone who knows their royal history!).
However, the Queen did not own Buckingham Palace. It technically belongs to the Crown Estate—but, of course, the Queen used it whenever she liked.
Queen Elizabeth also collected and inherited tons of valuables over the years.
The Queen owned plenty of impressive artifacts and curios. She inherited one of the world's largest stamp collections from her grandfather. It's valued at around $134 million, according to The Sun, and some of the stamps are worth over $2 million alone.
She inherited most of her mother's estate, too—all $94 million of it, per the BBC. From china to horses to an entire collection of Faberge eggs, the list of items the Queen added to her assets is pretty long.
Queen Elizabeth II's Most Glamorous Jewels And Tiaras
She was also the proud owner of many private furniture and jewelry collections, per Reader's Digest. And that includes the dozens of tiaras that the ladies in the royal family wear for weddings and other major events. The Queen's own coronation regalia contains one stone that's so massive, it even has its own name: The Cullinan II diamond weighs in at a whopping 317 carats, according to Vogue Australia.
In addition to that, there's artwork, investments, and more. The Queen's personal assets total around $500 million, per Forbes—not too shabby.
And, yep, the Queen did get paid to rule.
Just like the president gets paid, so did Queen Elizabeth (kind of). She received a stipend from the government each year, according to Reader's Digest, and the money was connected to her position. The stipend includes taxpayer money and the Duchy of Lancaster, another collection of commercial properties that helped fund the Queen's private income. These homes aren't a part of the Crown Estate, though.
Her stipend was called the Sovereign Grant, and it was paid to the Queen each spring. Oh, and it was no small amount: One recent grant totaled a whopping $120 million, per Forbes. Twenty-five percent (or around $30 million) went to the royal family, while the other 75 percent (a.k.a. $90 million) went to the British Treasury.
But there are rumors that the Queen was worth even more than we know.
Recently, a bombshell report from The Guardian argued that the Queen “successfully lobbied the government to change a draft law in order to conceal her ‘embarrassing’ private wealth from the public” back in the 1970s. The law supposedly “placed a veil of secrecy over the Queen’s private shareholdings and investments until at least 2011.”
However, not everyone agrees that this really happened. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace rejected the idea, stating that “any assertion that the sovereign has blocked legislation is simply incorrect.” Interesting.
Who will inherit the Queen's wealth now?
With the news of the Queen's death, Charles, Prince of Wales will be next to rule, followed by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, then Prince George of Cambridge. Charles will likely be confirmed as king this week, as outlined by Operation London Bridge, a 10-day plan that went into place upon the Queen's death.
Prince Charles will likely inherit most of the Queen's properties and the bulk of her estate, according to Express.co.uk. It's believed that Prince William and Kate Middleton will inherit Windsor Castle, per The Daily Mail.
Give it to me straight: Just how much was the Queen really worth?
Queen Elizabeth's net worth totaled a stunning $600 million, according to Reader's Digest. If that sounds huge, it's because it is. The Queen's fortune ranked in at exactly double Paris Hilton's—although she still wasn't a billionaire, like Rihanna.
