Most Expensive Items Owned by the Royal Family

1. Buckingham Palace

(Image/ Source: visitlondon.com)

A building might not be classed as an item to us mere mortals, but to the royal family, a palace is just one teeny part of their empire. Buckingham Palace – the most famous and recognized building that the royal family owns – is valued at a whopping $4.9 billion. It was built back in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham, and was later bought by King George III over fifty years later. While Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the monarch, most of the royal family tend to live in other houses elsewhere in the UK.

2. The Crown Jewels

(Image/ Source: tatler.com)

Nobody knows for certain just how much the Crown Jewels are actually worth, but according to the internet, they’re estimated to be worth anywhere in the region of $3.4 to $5.7 billion! The crown has a huge legacy behind it; it was worn by the Queen mother, as well as Queen Elizabeth, and it’s now been adorned by King Charles during his coronation. The headpiece also happens to contain the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which is supposed to be one of the most famous (and largest) diamonds in the world. This diamond was originally a part of the Peacock Chair, which was owned by the Mughal Empire in India.

3. HMY Britannia

(Image/ Source: architecturaldigest.com)

The HMY Britannia was essentially a palace on a ship. It was launched back in 1953, and traveled over 1 million nautical miles across the globe. The late Queen Elizabeth was very fond of the HMY, and she could even keep a few of her cars on board ready for when she reached land. The ship also featured servants’ quarters, a laundromat and a private hospital! The ship was decommissioned in 1997 (which the Queen was pretty sad about) and has now become a tourist attraction for royal enthusiasts. It’s said to be worth $18 million.

4. Private art collection

(Image/ Source: wikipedia.org)

The royal family, including the late Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, all had their own impressive art collections that has a combined net worth of over $32 million. There are paintings, watercolors, prints, drawings, prints and photographs which include portraits by the likes of Michelangelo, and Rembrandt, and at least 600 drawings and sketches by Leonardo Da Vinci. The Queen Mother had also bought Creuse by Claude Monet in 1949, which is now on display at Buckingham Palace through the Royal Collection Trust.

5. The Royal Philatelic Collection

(Image/ Source: lot-art.com)

This picture might not do it justice (it was being cleaned in the servants’ quarters at the time!) but this is the official stamp collection of the royal family. Officially known as the Royal Philatelic Collection, it contains stamps that the royal family has collected for decades, and includes one-off stamps from the likes of Canada and Laos. It’s said that the royal family started collecting stamps as far back as 1864, and the first serious collector was Prince Alfred. The collection is estimated to be worth over $125 million.

6. A 1984 Jaguar Saloon

(Image/ Source: yahoo.com)

The late Queen absolutely adored cars, and she had her own bespoke Jaguar designed especially for her in 1984. The Jaguar Daimler Double Six Long-Wheelbase Saloon was created specifically for the Queen’s drives around her Windsor estates, and even had a rear bench installed for her many corgis. It also had some ‘superb’ communication systems. The car transported a LOT of royals, prime ministers, politicians and celebrities over the years, and was eventually auctioned in 2010 for an impressive $77,000.

7. The Royal Jewelry Collection

(Image/ Source: marieclaire.com)

The royal family has the most extensive (and possibly the most expensive) jewelry collection in the world, which is estimated to be worth $3 billion. Crown Jewels aside, the collection is still hugely impressive; it includes the late Queen’s royal crown “The Girls of Great Britain Tiara”, which the family often refers to as 'Granny's tiara'. This is one of THE most expensive assets of the Queen. While this is reserved for Queens only, Queen Elizabeth has lent out a lot of her pieces to other family members over the years, including the Queen Mary Bandeau. It was worn by Meghan Markle when she got hitched to Prince Harry.

8. Balmoral Castle

(Image/ Source: wikipedia.org)

Balmoral Castle was said to be the Queen’s favorite royal residence, and she spent as much of her downtime there as possible. It’s also the residence she spent her last days in before her death in  September 2022. The private castle is based in Aberdeenshire in Scotland, and was originally bought for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert back in 1852. The castle has now been passed down to Charles III, and is worth a cool $140 million. Balmoral can also be visited by tourists at certain times of the year.

9. Royal Fisheries

(Image/ Source: dailyexpress.co.uk)

Not specifically an item, but interesting nonetheless! The royal sovereign technically owns all open fisheries within the boundaries of UK waters (those that relate to the fishing of sturgeon fish, porpoises, whales and dolphins anyway). It’s a strange but long-standing rule that stems back from 1324 when King Edward the Second was in power, which says that these animals are officially a possession of the ruling monarch. And this law has made the news a few times in the UK when fishermen run into difficulties with catching and selling sturgeon…

10. Swans

(Image/ Source: nytimes.com)

While we’re on the subject of animals, did you know that the ruling monarch also owns the entire population of mute swans in the UK? It’s a centuries-old law that means that the royal family still has an official ‘swan marker’, which is something of a swan ambassador role. The chosen swan marker usually leads the royal Swan Upping, which is a five-day assessment of the data and health of the swans found on the River Thames. The late Queen Elizabeth was particularly fond of birds, and she hopes her son Charles, an enthusiastic conservationist, will continue to honor them.

11. Bentely State Limousine

(Image/ Source: bentleymotors.com)

Another bespoke car that was made for the late Queen. This was her official state limousine from 2002 after it was given to her as a gift from Bentley Motors. She used it for tons of her official events, and was guarded by the police and the royal protection squad. The windows and bodywork of the car were both bomb and bulletproof to ensure the highest level of security for the royal sovereign. But it’s not just about security – it’s about comfort too! The car had some super cozy rear seats that were made from lamb’s wool. It’s worth an impressive $10 million.

12. The Duchy of Cornwall

(Image/ Source: theguardian.com)

The Duchy of Cornwall was built by Edward III for his son Edward Prince of Wales back in 1337, which started something of a tradition. The house was passed down to each Prince of Wales, where they could live and relax with their immediate family. It’s one of two royal duchies in England, with the other being in Lancaster. King Charles III put a LOT of effort into maintaining the Duchy of Cornwall, and made a profit of $26 million on the property in 2021. With over 135,000 acres, the house is worth an eye-watering $1.3 billion.

13. A McDonald's drive thru (yes, really)

(Image/ Source: sloughobserver.co.uk)

Believe it or not, the late Queen Elizabeth did indeed own a McDonald’s drive thru. She wanted to expand her portfolio of assets, so decided to buy a retail park not too far away from Windsor Castle back in 2008. The Bath Road retail park based in Slough was actually visible from the Queen’s quarters, so she got the Crown Estate to buy it for around $92 million. While it’s very unlikely that the Queen or royal courtiers ever popped over for a Big Mac, it’s been said that a lot of the below-stairs staff go in on a regular basis.

14. Sandringham Estate

(Image/ Source: wikipedia.org)

The Sandringham Estate is the private home of the royal family, and has been so for four generations. No official business takes place there – it’s strictly for rest and relaxation. Built back in 1771 by architect Cornish Henley, it’s a stunning property that’s surrounded by 20,000 acres of beautiful green forests and fields in the English county of Norfolk. While King Charles III hasn’t been spotted spending much time there as a new monarch, it was used by the Queen a lot during her later years. Despite not having any gas lighting in the property, the whole estate is estimated to be worth around $65 million.

15. State-of-the-art Range Rover

(Image/ Source: mirror.co.uk)

While the Queen had many cars in her collection, it seems that her beloved Range Rover was one of her favorites. She would often be spotted driving through the countryside in it, even when she was in her nineties! She would also travel to her favorite horse shows and farmers’ markets in it too. The car has a super-cute custom-made Corgi on the bonnet, and features an impressive twin-turbocharged V8 engine, as well as 4-wheel drive and 8-speed transmission. The car is said to be worth around $400,000.

16. Windsor castle

(Image/ Source: wikipedia.org)

Windsor Castle is perhaps the most well-known residence of the royal family after Buckingham Palace, as a lot of official business tends to be carried out there. It’s located in the English county of Berkshire, and has 13 impressive acres of land. It’s kitted out in both Georgian and Victorian designs, and the castle’s interior holds both English and French-style furniture. The Queen was known to spend her weekends here if she still needed to work, but the family would join her for special dinners and ceremonies. Windsor Castle is estimated to be worth $574 million.

17. Fabergé eggs

(Image/ Source: charitystars.com)

In case you’re not familiar with Fabergé eggs, they’re essentially jewel-encrusted, egg-shaped ornaments that were created by the legendary Russian jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé. He made tons of imperial easter eggs and other ornaments for the Russian royal family, and they’ve been favored by rich collectors all over the world. The British royal family has over 600 pieces thanks to the Queen Mother’s enthusiasm for Fabergé, which she then passed down to the late Queen Elizabeth. While nobody knows for certain how much the entire collection is worth, just one egg alone is worth $33,000.

18. Holyrood House

(Image/ Source: rct.uk)

Holyrood House in Edinburgh, Scotland is known to be the third official residence of the monarch, and is used for tons of ceremonies, dinners and state visits. It’s open to tourists at certain times of the year too (not when the royal family are staying though!). Newly appointed King Charles III has already been conducting official business there since his rise to the throne, and it’s set to play host to government business in the coming months. While it’s named a ‘house’, it’s really more of a palace; the biggest room is named The Great Gallery, and has tons of portraits of Scottish monarchs. The property is worth $55.1 million.

19. The Queen's wardrobe

(Image/ Source: people.com)

The Queen’s wardrobe is extensive – and there’s a dress and color for every occasion! From her early 40s chic to her modern, brightly-colored coats in her later years, her fashion choices have been described as a tour-de-force in textile design. Elizabeth’s wedding and coronation dresses alone (worn in 1947 and 1953) are worth millions, so nobody’s quite sure how much the total value is of her entire wardrobe – including her huge collection of Launer handbags. Some royal family experts expect the late Queen’s wardrobe to be worth billions.

20. Hillsborough Castle

(Image/ Source: ireland.com)

Hillsborough Castle is the royal family’s main residence in Northern Ireland. It’s used frequently as royal family members conduct their state visits, and is just two miles away from the city of Belfast. It’s also played host to some prominent people over the years; both Benjamin Franklin and the Dalai Lama have passed through the doors of Hillsborough as they helped build the modern world. The stunning Georgian mansion is found in the village of Hillsborough in County Down, and has some impressive features such as a Function room and Throne room. The castle is valued at $80 million.

21. Yoruba thrones

(Image/ Source: rct.uk)

The Yoruba thrones were presented to the Queen as a present when she visited Nigeria back in 1956. The Yoruba people of West Africa have lived in Nigeria since the eleventh century, and the thrones are steeped in history. Beads are a sign of wealth and status in Yoruba culture, and are decorated on each of the thrones. Each throne also features diamond patterns on the arms and legs, as well as four lions on the surface of the beaded seats. While the exact value of the thrones is unclear, they are estimated to be worth millions.

22. Land

(Image/ Source: polgeonow.com)

The reigning British monarch is the only person in the entire world that owns whole countries that are not their own domestic country. It’s thought that the monarch is estimated to own a whopping 6 million acres of land, which actually equates to a sixth of the world’s surface (oceans not included). While it’s pretty difficult to put an exact value on the land that the monarch owns, it’s estimated to be worth an eye-watering $33 trillion. This makes King Charles III one of the biggest landowners on earth.

23. Tunnel boring machine

(Image/ Source: geoengineer.org)

As weird gifts for the Queen go, this one is up there with the best of them. A tunnel boring machine used to construct the Elizabeth Line for the London Underground (named after her, of course) was given to the late monarch as a present back in 2017. And it might be one of the biggest gifts she ever received. Each of these bespoke Crossrail tunneling machines has an external diameter of 7.1 meters, and they measure about 150 meters in length. To put this into perspective, this is the equivalent of about 14 London buses end-to-end. While the value of the machine is hard to estimate, it’s not exactly cheap!

24. London's Regent Street

(Image/ Source: wikipedia.org)

As the monarch in power owns so much land, it’s no huge surprise that the royal family owns one of the most well-known streets in London. In the heart of the capital’s West End is Regent Street, which runs straight through Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus. This area is technically a part of The Crown Estate, so it’s now owned by the newly crowned King Charles III. The royal family doesn’t make any royalties from the retailers that occupy the shop space though. The value of this area runs into the millions.

25. Half of the coastlines in the UK

(Image/ Source: telegraph.co.uk)

Did you know that the reigning monarch owns just under half of the UK’s shorelines? The foreshore – which is the bit between the sea and land – that surrounds England, Wales and Northern Ireland is now in possession of King Charles. There’s now been a 2,700-mile coastal path named after him too as a tribute to all of his environmental work, which is actually the longest trail in England. The King Charles III England Coast path snakes down from Northumberland to the south coast of England before it makes its way back up north to Cumbria.

26. The Royal Box at Wimbledon

(Image/ Source: mirror.co.uk)

We’re not sure money can buy this one, but one of the near-priceless things the royal family have is the royal box at Wimbledon. It’s strictly reserved for the upper elite (the royals, politicians and high-profile sporting celebs like Roger Federer and David Beckham) but a few lucky civilians can sometimes get an opportunity to sit in the box if last-minute tickets are available. While the Queen’s last visit to the box was in 2010 for Andy Murray’s match, Kate Middleton is there every single year.

27. The Tower of London

(Image/ Source: matadornetwork.com)

The Tower of London, also known as His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is just one more grand building that’s owned by the royal family. The castle dates way back to the eleventh century,  and has a pretty colorful history. It was originally built as a symbol of power, and was used by William the Conqueror to protect himself from rebellions. These days it’s a major tourist attraction, and houses the Crown Jewels. The property is said to have a value of $56 billion in the UK.

28. Queen Victoria's sketchbook

(Image/ Source: bbc.co.uk)

As one-of-a-kind go, Queen Victoria’s sketchbooks are pretty priceless. The late Queen Elizabeth was the great-great-granddaughter of  Queen Victoria, and her sketches and artworks have been passed down through the royal family generations, and are now part of the Royal Collection Trust. These items have regularly been on display at St James’ Palace in London. It seems that Queen Victoria preferred to craft pencil and watercolor drawings, which are dated from as far back as 1885. Items from the expansive collection fetch as much as $10,000, so nobody’s quite sure of the total value of her artwork.

29. Winning race horses

(Image/ Source: horseandhound.co.uk)

Horses were a huge passion of the late Queen – and it’s even been suggested that she would have worked with them if she wouldn’t have had her royal duties. While she was an experienced rider, she’s been a pretty savvy investor in racehorses over the years, and usually had around thirty horses in training at any given time. She started investing in racehorses with her mom in the 40s, and the pair won their first race together in 1949. The Queen’s time and investment in racehorses seriously paid off; her impressive selection of racehorses won 451 races, which earnt the monarch just under $9 million!

30. Westminster Abbey

(Image/ Source: homesandgardens.com)

Yep – the royals own pretty much every major building in London. Westminster Abbey is steeped in history, and has played host to almost every major event for the royal family; weddings, funerals, memorial services, as well as coronations. While most religious buildings in the UK belong to what’s called a diocese (a building in pastoral care), Westminster Abbey is a little bit different. The abbey belongs directly to the monarch, which means it’s commonly known as a ‘royal peculiar’. Westminster Abbey is said to be worth millions, but nobody’s valued it for years.