Despite inheriting a hefty fortune over the years, King Charles finds himself in an unusual position: he’s not actually the wealthiest member of his own family. While The King, of course, is worth quite a hefty sum, he ranks as the second wealthiest member of the Royal Family, per a recent financial analysis by the Daily Mail.
It turns out Prince William tops the list, with a 2022 “rich list” published by the Times estimating his fortune at £1.05 billion. This is largely because he took control of the Duchy of Cornwall when Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022, and, per the Daily Mail, the estate provides him with “around £24million a year” in income. The Duchy is a hereditary estate that was established in 1337 by King Edward III, primarily to provide income for the heir to the British throne.
However, this isn’t William’s only source of wealth. He inherited roughly £10 million when Princess Diana died and an estimated £7 million from his great-grandmother, the Queen Mother, upon her 2002 death.
The King ranks as the second-richest royal, with an estimated worth of £900 million, per the publication. Like William’s Duchy of Cornwall, King Charles profits from his own hereditary estate, the Duchy of Lancaster. But he likely inherited hundreds of millions of pounds when Queen Elizabeth died, too; per the Times, the late monarch’s fortune “was estimated at £370 million — wealth comprised of property, investments and other assets” such as art, jewelry and “a large stamp collection.”
The Prince of Wales is the richest member of the Royal Family.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Princess Anne ranks as third on the royal rich list.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
However, the exact amount King Charles inherited from his mother “will almost certainly remain a mystery because a court ruling in 1820 determined that a monarch’s will does not need to be published,” the Times reported.
Coming in third on the list is The King’s only sister, Princess Anne, with the hard-working royal estimated as worth £50 million thanks to her Gatcombe Park estate. She also receives an income from the sovereign grant since she’s a full-time working member of the Royal Family. Like King Charles, the amount of money she inherited upon Queen Elizabeth’s death is unknown.
Rounding out the top five richest royals are Prince Michael of Kent at £31.5 million and Princess Margaret‘s son, David Armstrong-Jones, who “is thought to be worth between £19.7 and £30.7million,” according to the Daily Mail. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle snagged number six on the list
This year, the Royal Family should become even richer, with news that the sovereign grant will rise by more than $56 million.
TOPICS