The Queen’s Birthday Earnings: How Much Exactly?

After a refreshing Queen’s birthday long weekend, we thought there was no better time than now to discover how much the Queen earns, and where it comes from. Surprisingly, she is a property tycoon!

Forbes estimates the Queen’s private net worth at around $728 million (in AUD). Her majesty receives income from three main sources.

1.The Duchy of Lancaster.

This is where most of the Queen’s income stems from. The Duchy of Lancaster was formed in 1399, and today it’s basically a real estate portfolio held similarly to a trust, not personally by the Queen. She receives income from this land, which constitutes over 18,000 hectares, and from other assets in England and Wales.

According to the Express, that income is an estimated $33 million each year, though this does need to pay the for the work of family members, including the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and the Princess Royal.

2. The Privy Purse

The Queen has inherited private estates, including Sandringham and Balmoral Castle, which generate income. In addition, her majesty has a personal investment portfolio, which includes art, property such as houses, UK bonds, gold, and diamonds, only partially under control of the Queen, which according to the BBC is worth $17 million. However, even her majesty the Queen cannot escape taxes, as she still pays income tax on the revenue from her investments.

3. The Sovereign Grant

This comes from the treasury and is funded by taxpayers, according to the BBC.

It started when King George III made a deal with parliament in 1760 to hand over the Crown Estate, which is a large portfolio of property and land now worth $15 billion. It includes national icons such as Buckingham Palace, Regent Street in London, and most of the UK’s seabed. The profits from the Crown Estate are today shared by the Monarch. The Queen receives this Sovereign Grant from the Treasury, which amounts to 15% of the profits from the Crown Estate, a staggering $133 million for the 2017/18 financial year. This money goes towards paying for the upkeep of the royal residences, including Buckingham Palace, as well as royal travel, functions, payroll and investitures.

The Queen is also an entrepreneur, as she manages to generate more than $25 million each year from renting out rooms in the royal palaces for corporate events.

As much as her income sounds high, it is all relative to her lifestyle. According to the Telegraph, it costs $526 million to run the British monarchy every year! That’s not even including the estimated $88 million backlog of repairs necessary to keep the royal palaces running.

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