A Collection Of The Priciest Items Queen Elizabeth II Owns

Jun 04, 2021 by apost team

A long-lasting seat on the throne comes with plenty of responsibilities, but also plenty of opportunities for a lifetime of wealth. Queen Elizabeth II has held her spot on the throne longer than any other British monarch. Although she has had her fair share of hardships over the years, especially during 2021, the queen has also been able to enjoy some of the luxuries that come with her reign.

The Crown Estate belongs to the reigning monarch during the duration of their reign, but it is not the monarch’s private property, according to The Crown Estate's website. The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings in the territories of England, Wales and Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom that belong to the British monarch, making it the sovereign’s public estate, meaning it does not belong to neither the government nor the monarch as private property.

While The Crown Estate does not manage the royal palaces, it does manage one of the royal parks, Windsor Great Park. Despite the reigning monarch having ownership over The Crown Estate, the royal family does not actually run the estate, as it is run by The Crown Estate Commissioners, according to The Crown Estate. It is also important to note that the government does not own The Crown Estate.

The Sovereign Grant Act 2011 introduced the Sovereign Grant, the payment of which is paid annually to the monarch -- in this case the Queen -- by the government in order to help with the funding of her official duties. The size of the grant has increased drastically over the years. While the first grant for the year of 2012 to 2013 was £31 million, the grant for the year of 2021 to 2022 is £86.3 million. This has helped the Queen with fulfilling her duties over the years, as it consolidated all of the funding sources into a single payment.

Her Majesty has grown accustomed to having a number of expensive commodities, and while some of those objects include her designer clothes, she also owns plenty of other items that may not be the most typical for most people. The Guardian reported that although people over the years have become aware of more of the Queen’s possessions, she is not legally obligated to disclose all of her private belongings.

Here are five of the many expensive items that the Queen owns:

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The Queen owns a handful of art pieces in her private collection, but she also has ownership over others due to her status as the British monarch. The Royal Collection is actually housed in 15 residents and former residents all across the UK, with some locations being Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and Windsor Castle. The Culture Trip reported that Her Majesty owns around 500,000 prints, 30,000 watercolors and drawings and 7,000 paintings, along with plenty of other works of art. The entire collection is worth about £10 billion, based on the value of the market.

The Tower of London really seems to have it all, as people can also take a peek at the Queen’s Crown Jewels there. The coronation regalia has been stored and displayed at the Tower since 1661, according to Historic Royal Palaces. Reader’s Digest reported that the entire collection is worth an estimated $4 million.

While the Crown Jewels are kept safe and sound at the Tower of London, the Queen has possession over another gorgeous piece of jewellery. Her Diamond Diadem tiara is by far one of the grandest pieces of jewellery in Her Majesty’s collection. This stunning tiara set with 1,333 diamonds cost an estimated £8,216 in 1820, which now has an estimated value of £814,543.

Her Majesty is the owner of a Scottish home called Balmoral Castle. The grounds, gardens and exhibitions there are open to the general public, as it has become quite the popular tourist spot. While visiting Balmoral Castle, people can stay in a cute cottage, have a nice cup of tea and even visit the gift shop to pick up some memorabilia. The Evening Standard reported that the castle is worth around $140 million.

The Queen has private ownership of another property, the Sandringham Estate. Much like Balmoral Castle, this estate is also open for the general public to come visit. The estate is gorgeous with its gardens, royal park and cottages, and it even has a place for children to play. Sandringham Estate is worth about $65 million, according to the Evening Standard.

Did you know the Queen had all of these expensive possessions? What was the most surprising item on this list to you? Let us know, and be sure to send this to your family and friends.