10 Lesser Known Facts About Queen Elizabeth II

Imagine what it must be like to be King or Queen of the United Kingdom. Ok, so maybe today's royalty don€™t have the absolute power of their predecessors, such as Henry VIII who clearly understood such things as how to avoid messy divorces and paying maintenance, but it's still a dream.

Being popular is important of course, otherwise it may lead to revolution, as in France, or an untimely death - Edward II, so it is rumored, was killed by having a red hot poker rammed up his backside. Following short term populist measures to curry public opinion is not new: Henry VIII beheaded the two leading tax collectors in the Treasury making him a sure fire hit with his subjects. Modern sovereigns may have had their powers cut and their duties ceremonial but what a life.

You live in a palace, eat the best food, travel the world, stay at top hotels, get loads of presents and never have to worry about household bills. In return, you make some speeches, shake a few hands and do a lot of waving. Queen Elizabeth II is Britain's longest serving sovereign, so what does she do all day, how much is she worth and, more importantly, is she worth it?

10. How Much Is The Queen Worth?

The Monarchy as an institution is valued at $87 billion but the Queen herself is worth far less. Compared to most of us, the Queen is absolutely loaded but compared to today's richest people she is a mere pauper. Her wealth is less than 3% compared to the Duke of Westminster, Britain's richest person.

Having said that, most informed estimates claim she is worth around $425 million in terms of her private wealth. That does not include such things as palaces or castles, a huge property portfolio, the crown jewels, or the Royal Art Collections. These are held in perpetuity for the country and administered by the Crown Estate.

The Queen does own Balmoral Castle along with other properties, marine land, a fruit farm, two stud farms and a healthy investment portfolio. She also has a stamp collection, inherited from her grandfather worth millions, plus extensive collections of art and fine jewellery. The Royals famously don€™t carry money with them, which is a bit surprising as Coutts Bank installed a private ATM cash machine in the basement of Buckingham Palace.

Talk about unnecessary luxuries.

Bizarrely, all swans on the River Thames and any passing dolphins, whales or sturgeons that come within 3 miles of the British coastline become her property. This goes back to an act passed in1324 when Edward II was king. Incidentally, being the Monarch means you don€™t have to pay tax but the Queen has been paying tax on a voluntary basis since 1992.