The UK public is in mourning since Her Majesty’s passing on Thursday the 8th of September. The country will be facing an array of changes over the coming months raising countless questions both big and small. In this article we aim to tackle some of the smaller scale questions which are more curiosities than concerns. “How much was the Queen worth?” “Who will directly inherit the Queen’s estate?” “What was the queens estate made up of?” and so on. As Heir Hunters and Probate Researchers, we deal with questions like this every day… Just not for Her Royal Highness.
The Queens properties
Her Majesty has a home for almost every occasion. The Queens estate is comprised of six homes across the UK. Starting with the most iconic, Buckingham Palace has belonged to the ruling Monarch since 1837. Arguably the most famous building in the world, Buckingham Palace is estimated to be worth well over a billion pounds if not priceless.
Windsor Castle is the country home of the Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth II and her sister moved here during WWII among safety concerns. Serving as a country home, the Queen frequents this property on the weekends as it’s not far from her London base. The estimated value of Windsor Castle is £580 million.
Holyrood Palace is the Queens official residence in Scotland and typically hosts her when she is further north. Her Majesty tends to travel up the first week of summer in an event called Holyrood Week. It is estimated that Holyrood Palace is worth around £55 million. Her Majesty’s final moments took place in Balmoral Castle in Scotland. As the Queen’s favorite property, it was the perfect place for her last days. Balmoral is estimated at over £60 million.
Sandringham is another property owned by the Monarchy, known as the Christmas home for the royals with many a Christmas day speech coming from the home. This grand 20,000 acre estate is estimated at over £100 million. Finally, when frequenting Northern Ireland, the Queen dwells in Hillsborough Castle, also serving as the residence of the Northern Ireland’s Secretary of State. The last home on this list is estimated at over £80 million.
The Queens priceless items
If we were to list all the high value items belonging to the queen this article would be long. Very long. To put it simply, the Queens estate is priceless. “Priceless” is defined by something being so valuable that no one would ever want to sell it or buy it. Her Majesty has numerous items considered to be priceless. This includes, Henry VIII’s armor, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, and Queen Victoria’s wedding dress.
The Queens high value items
A number of items have been valued within the Queen’s estate. However, even if they were for sale, most would only be purchasable by the financially ample. For instance, Hyde Park has been owned by the Royal Family since 1660 is estimated at £17 billion. There are also numerous works of art including pieces from Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci and Peter Paul Rubens. Collectively, Her Majesty’s art is valued at over £8.6 billion. A passion of Queen Elizabeth II was horse racing, so naturally she owned a few horses herself. Over the course of her life, the Queens horses won 451 races and are valued at £7.5 million. Faberge eggs are the epitome of a luxury item and considered one of the most expensive items one could collect. The Queen has a vast collection of Faberge eggs (started by Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) amassing an estimated value of around £170 million.
The Queens more affordable items
While there are countless items belonging to the Monarchy worth millions if not billions, there are still lesser valued items which are near and dear to the Queens heart. A renowned animal lover, much of this comprises of various animals throughout the UK. When in Seychelles, the Queen fell in love with two giant tortoises. Together they are estimated to be worth around £17,000 with one being close to breaking the Guinness World Record for oldest tortoise at 188.
As many may know the Crown own the rights to every swan throughout England and Wales. With each swan being worth around £300, its estimated that they are valued at approximately £110,000. Last but not least, (but the least expensive item in this article) the Queen owns an Aberdeen Angus Cow. Estimated at around £2400, it is far more treasured to the Queen. The former Queen Mother and Elizabeth II become patrons of the Aberdeen Angus Cow Society after falling in love with the breed. They were presented with one cow worth £1200 which gave birth to triplets in 2017.
There is no denying the unfathomable value of the Queen’s estate, even if she can’t sell most of it. The Crown Jewels alone are considered to be of the most priceless pieces in the world. However, truly the most valuable commodity Her Majesty left behind is her unparalleled legacy. God save the Queen! For more stories like this please read our other blogs and follow us on LinkedIn.
