- StyleEvening Standard
Queen Elizabeth net worth 2019: How much is the Queen of England worth and where does the British royal family's wealth come from?
What is Queen Elizabeth's net worth? She is famously frugal, keeping warm with a £30 heater and using the same £7.99 brand of nail varnish for 30 years. As Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, who was an advisor to the Queen, once said, “No one is tighter at spending than the Queen. She grew up during the war. Very disciplined.”But the Queen is also fabulously wealthy, ranked 344th on the 2018 Sunday Times Rich List, with a wealth portfolio than spans everything from art and diamonds to wind farms and most recently, her staff of chefs, as she's looking for a new one to join her at Buckingham Palace. This May, it was also revealed that she has one major indulgence as royal finance expert David McClure said, “The Queen is famously frugal but her one extravagance is horses.”He added, “This is quite an expensive hobby, at one stage she had about a strong of about 20 thoroughbred horses, she had three studs, she had stables...It was estimated, that I think in around about 2000, it was costing about £600,000 a year just to run that.”While Queen Elizabeth is quite traditional when it comes to her spending habits (barring her equine splurges), she's still a modern monarch - she most recently showed off her technological prowess by posting her first Instagram message. > View this post on Instagram> > Today, as I visit the Science Museum I was interested to discover a letter from the Royal Archives, written in 1843 to my great-great-grandfather Prince Albert. Charles Babbage, credited as the world’s first computer pioneer, designed the “Difference Engine”, of which Prince Albert had the opportunity to see a prototype in July 1843. In the letter, Babbage told Queen Victoria and Prince Albert about his invention the “Analytical Engine” upon which the first computer programmes were created by Ada Lovelace, a daughter of Lord Byron. Today, I had the pleasure of learning about children’s computer coding initiatives and it seems fitting to me that I publish this Instagram post, at the Science Museum which has long championed technology, innovation and inspired the next generation of inventors. Elizabeth R. PHOTOS: Supplied by the Royal Archives © Royal Collection Trust / Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2019> > A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Mar 7, 2019 at 3:31am PSTAnd although she's 92, she's still quite spry. She's reportedly giving up driving on public roads and will now be chauffeured but she has another way to get around - she's still often spotted on horseback. Here's the breakdown of what the Queen owns, how much her husband Prince Philip makes, and where the Queen's income comes from. What is the Queen's net worth?The 92-year-old monarch is by far the richest member of the Royal family. As of 2017, the British monarchy was worth around $88 billion, according to Forbes, and Queen Elizabeth was estimated to be personally worth at least $520 million. How much is Prince Philip worth? It pays being married to the Queen - literally. Prince Philip is reportedly worth somewhere around $30 million. After the Sovereign Grant Act of 2011, Philip received an annual Parliamentary annuity of about $500k, which is for all of his public duties. He officially retired from his position in 2017, at the age of 96. Unlike the Queen Elizabeth's frugal tastes however, it's been reported that Prince Philip has in the past been "beguiled by opulence". In a book titled The Royals, the author Kitty Kelley reported that he "enjoyed being cossetted in superlative comfort". Kelley described the royal's trip to Mexico and visit to actor Merle Oberon's grand villa in Acapulco. Kelley wrote, "Although Philip was married to the world’s richest woman, and accustomed to the highest levels of royal service, he did not live sumptuously. His wife was frugal and accustomed to scratchy tweeds and sensible shoes. Her palaces were cold and draughty and required electric space heaters in every corner...With Merle Oberon, Philip appeared more beguiled by opulence. Which properties does the Queen own? The Queen benefits from the Crown Estate, which earns about $400 million per year, including revenue from 263,000 farmed acres and buildings in central London. Buckingham Palace is owned by the reigning monarch - as part of the Crown Estate - but it is not the Queen's personal property.The Crown Estate also holds $14 billion worth of property in the UK. Though Queen Elizabeth doesn’t technically own all of the properties, she does get to spend about 15% of the income generated by the Crown Estate. This money is usually used to pay for Queen Elizabeth’s events, including garden parties, receptions, and her travel costs.A few royal properties are personally owned by the Queen: the $140 million Balmoral Castle, where she vacations every summer, and the family’s $65 million country home, Sandringham, where the royal family spend Christmas. What is the Queen's income and where does it come from?Much of the Queen's income comes from trusts that are part of the Royal Collection. The trusts include certain national treasures, including the Crown Jewels and the Tower of London, which the Queen holds for the rest of the nation. Though she doesn't own them outright, they make up her vast portfolio. Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle are also held in trust. Some items in the royal collection do belong to the Queen, including a royal stamp collection started by King George V, and certain personal real estate holdings.Queen Elizabeth also makes money from horse racing. She's won nearly $9.2 million in prize money over the years for her racehorses, with 451 wins.The Queen owns the Crown Jewels 'in the right of the Crown', so the ownership passes from one monarch to the next. The 140 pieces are worth an estimated $4 billion. How do the Royal family make money?The Queen also receives a salary. Her income recently doubled, rising to $97.2 million. The private income from the Duchy of Lancaster rose most recently in 2017. It comes from a portfolio of land held in trust for the current reigning monarch. It's used to pay for "extras," like funding the other members of the royal family and items that aren't part of the Queen's official work. She also received a raise from an increase in taxes, used to pay for all of the Buckingham Palace renovations. That money comes from the Sovereign Grant, which is the portion of her money paid by taxpayers for her official duties, including the upkeep of all the palaces (this is according to the official Royal website, which tracks the Queen's finances and shares them with the people).After the Paradise Papers leak it was revealed that around $12 million of the Queen's income had been invested offshore, in funds in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands
- StyleDanielle Stacey
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Prince George birthday photos: Analysing the Duchess of Cambridge's photography
The Duchess of Cambridge's love of the arts is well documented. She studied art history at the University of St Andrews and after marriage became patron of two of London’s most prominent artistic institutions.In recent years, the Duchess has also become a photography enthusiast, sharing personal photographs of her children on special occasions, from birthdays to first days of school.Today marks Prince George's sixth birthday and as has become Cambridge tradition, Kensington Palace released official portraits of the royal taken by his mother. The three undated pictures were revealed to have been taken on holiday in an iundisclosed location.As with many of Kate's portraits of her children, the photographs were taken outdoors and the young royal was all smiles as he posed for his mother.Earlier in May, Kensington Palace also shared a set of pictures the Duchess had taken of her daughter Princess Charlotte to celebrate her fourth birthday.The photos, which depict Charlotte playing in the grounds of Kensington Palace, followed portraits Kate had taken days prior for Prince Louis’ first birthday at her Norfolk home, Anmer Hall. John Suler, a professor of psychology at Rider University and the author of Perception and Imaging: Photography as a Way of Seeing, says there's probably a reason Kate often photographs her children outdoors. Previously, she has shot her sons and daughters in locations including the grounds of her home, the steps of Kensington Palace’s courtyard and outside Prince Louis’ school.“[Most of the] photos are not 'environmental portraits' in which we see the surroundings of the children, which could easily remind us of their royal upbringing,” he said.Suler says this approach does what some previous royal portraits have arguably been unable to do - make the Cambridges seem like an ordinary family. “Instead, these could be anyone's children, which encourages viewers to relate to the pictures.”Kate’s skill with her camera has been noted in the past, with photographer Glenn Gratton telling the Daily Mail that she was “clearly using Photoshop” to improve her pictures and “feeling more confident with her camera”.In 2018, the V&A’s senior curator Martin Barnes said the Duchess was “really knowledgeable” and understood the “technology behind the photos” following her appearance at the museum to open a new photography centre.Kate serves as royal patron to the Victoria and Albert Museum and was seen exploring the photography centre's debut exhibit last October, where she pored over vintage portraits and cameras. Family photographer Andrea Whelan also assessed Kate's technical skill with a camera, delving into how her work has improved over the years and what she could also potentially stand to work on.Whelan said one of the earliest photographs Kate shared with the public was her "favourite shot", namely the above portrait of Prince George before his first day of school in 2014. She explained that it had "no distractions" and noted his "cheeky face", praising the choice to shoot him in his uniform.She said, "Sometimes the clothes make or break a portrait."Whelan also deconstructed Kate's technical skill in Princess Charlotte's 2015 birthday portrait above, saying, "Great composition here. [She made] use of the wider depth of field to help us focus on Charlotte and blur the teddy."While she noted that Prince George's first day of school portrait in 2016 was "quite striking", Whelan noted that the way Prince George fit into the frame actually might not have been the best choice for a happy occasion.She said, "The central composition is quite striking and creates tension, which is congruent to the image as it's his first day at school."While George's central composition and busy background may not have been a winner for Whelan, Middleton's portrait of Princess Charlotte the following year proved the Duchess had improved.She said, "Lovely use of light and neutral background, [which] helps the subject Charlotte 'pop'."Kate moved into more advanced territory in 2018 with Prince Louis' official birth portrait, as Whelan explained that Kate had managed to create "catchlights" in his eyes. Catchlights occur when a photographer is able to capture the reflection of a light source on a subject's eyes, which can help brighten a portrait.She said, "Perfect catchlights in [Prince Louis'] eyes here, really brings the image to life."While Kate has in the past shot many posed pictures of her children, she went outside of her comfort zone for Prince Louis' first birthday portrait taken on the grounds of their home Anmer Hall. Whelan said, "Lovely action shot of the little prince here, great expression and depth of field."And finally, she praised one of Kate's most recent pictures of Princess Charlotte this year, saying of the above, "A fine natural shot of the princess. Fab expression which shows a lot of personality and character."In a pamphlet for the National Portrait Gallery's Victorian Giants: The Birth of Art Photography exhibit the Duchess expanded on her interest in photography. Victorian photography and “photographs of children in particular” were the basis of Kate's undergraduate thesis - knowledge she seems to have factored into her own work.She also called herself an "enthusiastic amateur photographer".Suler notes, “Rather than relying on professionals, people are doing their own photography, and sometimes become quite skilled at it, as in the case of these photos.”“One advantage of this is how parents, rather than a 'stranger,' decide what moments and photographic styles best capture the personality of their children,” he finished.
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The Queen's hiring a chef - but the salary's way under the UK average
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The huge problem facing the Royal Family when the Queen dies
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Royal expert claims Meghan Markle could reach 'breaking point' amid growing criticism
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- StyleYahoo Style UK
'It's difficult for Prince Harry to explain to Meghan how intense royal life is'
A former royal editor says that until people have joined the Royal Family, they have no idea what life is like. Speaking on Yahoo UK's 'The Royal Box,' ITV News' former royal editor Tim Ewart says: "We talk a lot about people coming into the Royal Family being prepared for what it’s going to be like. "Kate and Meghan must expect to be the centre of attention, they have no idea, absolutely no idea what it’s really like. "When it was Diana, there were photographers, there were camera men, people weren’t using smart phones. Now every single person that a member of the Royal Family meets has a smart phone up. "Every single word that is said, doesn’t matter where the TV cameras are, doesn’t matter where the snappers, the photographers, they can be anywhere. But every single person has got their phone up or their iPad up, nothing is private anymore. "That’s something until those people have been through it, they have no understanding of what it’s like. I know very little about Meghan Markle’s early life as an actress, she was a well-known actress but she wasn’t hunted by the paparazzi. Suddenly to come into this cauldron, into this Royal Family is beyond anything that she could ever have expected and it will be very, very difficult for Harry, as it was with William with Kate, to explain just how intense that is. How every single every expression, movement, comment - bang. That’s going to be on the front page."
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Princess Diana’s favourite gym jumper sold for an extraordinary amount
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