The Royal Family’s Most Expensive Possessions
Megan and Harry have decided to leave the ranks of the royal family, which to us seems absolutely crazy because they're leaving so much stuff behind. And by stuff, we mean expensive stuff. Although, one could argue that privacy and stability are more important than stuff, but then again, look at all this stuff!
Royals own some pretty incredible things, ranging from palatial estates to rare gemstones to sports teams. Check out some incredibly expensive items some of the world's queens, princes, and sheiks have in their possession.
Queen Elizabeth's Massive Art Collection
Queen Elizabeth II is quite the art collector. Thirteen royal homes in the United Kingdom contain pieces from her collection, which includes over 500,000 prints, 30,000 watercolors, and 7,000 paintings. Some of the artwork she owns is also housed in museums across the UK.
The queen's collection features a lot of portraits, including those of late members of the royal family. Queen Elizabeth II has official portraits of King Henry VIII, King George V, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth.
She Also Collects Stamps
In addition to art, Queen Elizabeth II collects stamps. If you want to find a unique stamp from British history, The Royal Philatelic Collection is the place to look. King George V started the collection in the 1800s when he was the Duke of York.
Over the years, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II added significantly to the collection. Stamp enthusiasts might be excited to learn that the collection includes philatelic gems such as the 1840 Penny Black and Twopenny Blue, the legendary Post Office Mauritius, and the Great Britain Two Pence Tyrian Plum.
The Palace Of Holyroodhouse
The Queen doesn't live in Buckingham Palace all year round. In the summers, she often travels to Scotland where she owns The Palace of Holyroodhouse. This palace was originally a monastery when it was first built in 1128. Tourists can visit the property and see the Holyrood Abbey, the gardens, and the state apartments.
Some of Scotland's most iconic historic figures are associated with the palace, including Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Regent Street In London
You thought it was impressive to own a house? Well, the royal family owns an entire street. Regent Street in London is the major shopping street in the city. It's named after George, the Prince Regent who became King George IV. Regent Street is technically part of the Crown Estate. If you're looking to shop in some higher-end stores while in London, this is the place to go.
The University of Westminster's main campus is located at No. 309 Regent Street, and All Souls Church is at the top of Regent Street.
Grace Kelly Married Into Money
Grace Kelly certainly owned some expensive items and properties before she became royalty, but in 1955, she got engaged to Prince Rainer III and when they got married, they combined all of their assets. Kelly and Prince Rainer III got engaged at her parent's estate in Philadelphia. Kelly's only son, Prince Albert II of Monaco, purchased the East Falls property in 2016 for $754,000 to renovate the landmark which was first built in 1928.
The home is filled with family heirlooms and even includes the twin bed that Kelly used as a child.
Monte Carlo Casino In Monaco
The Casino de Monte-Carlo is owned by several shareholders, one of which (and the majority shareholder) is Monaco's royal family. This Casino was first conceived by Princess Caroline and it first opened its doors in 1863.
The famous casino has appeared in several Hollywood films, including Ocean's Twelve and a few James Bond flicks. The Casino brings in millions of dollars per year, although the exact revenue numbers and statistics are kept secret from the public.
Enough Money To Throw Underwater Parties
Swaziland isn't a rich country by any means. Half of the country's population lives on one dollar a day. The royal family in Swaziland is living large, though. They frequently flash their riches on social media and showcase some of the wildest things they've done.
One of the craziest things they did to flaunt their wealth was throw underwater parties. The Swazi public wasn't so happy about that stunt. I guess the sea was calling them.
Sandringham House Is The Queen's Christmas Getaway
Sandringham House, a country retreat, has been in the British royal family since 1862. This estate sits on 24 hectares of gardens, and it contains York Cottage, Park House where Diana Princess of Wales was born, as well as Amner Cottage and Wood Farm.
The royal family typically spends Christmas here. Tourists are allowed to visit Sandringham to see the gardens, museums, and parts of the house, which was built by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.
Prince Albert's Meteor Car Key
Prince Albert of Monaco has a thing for expensive cars. He doesn't just love expensive cars_ he also loves expensive car keys. In March of 2019, it was reported that he had acquired the most expensive car key in the world. It's a wearable gadget called the Senturion Key S177 Full Meteorite, composed of precious metals from a 4.9 billion-year-old meteorite found in Africa. The key alone costs $269,521.
Only seven of these meteor keys were ever made.
Balmoral Castle In Scotland
Balmoral Castle has been the Scottish home of the English Royal Family since Prince Albert bought it for Queen Victoria in 1852. When Queen Victoria died in 1901, the estate passed, according to her will, to King Edward VII. Each of his successors has since inherited the property.
Queen Elizabeth II, The Duke of Edinburgh, and The Prince of Wales have a special interest in the estate and work regularly to keep it running properly and be updated as required. Tourists are allowed to visit the grounds, gardens, exhibitions, gift shop and cafe.
The Horse Stables Of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud & Sons
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud was King of Saudi Arabia from 2005 until his death in 2015. He was succeeded as king by his half-brother Salman of Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah was passionate about horses. The Stables of King Abdullah Bin A'Aziz Al-Saud & Sons are the biggest in Saudi Arabia.
King Abdullah had more than 1,000 horses divided in five divisions led by his son, Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah. King Abdullah visited the stables as often as he could and Janadria Farm was often referred to by the media as King Abdullah's "ranch."
Manchester City Soccer Club Is Owned By A Different Royal Family
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahayan is a member of Abu Dhabi's royal family and half brother of the current President of UAE, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Al Nahayan had an an estimated personal net worth of $4.9 billion back in 2009, so you can imagine what it is today, a decade later.
Al Nahayan bought the soccer club Manchester City for $300 million from former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2008. He spent more than $1.7 billion investing in Manchester City over the following 10 years. His investment paid off because the club is now making a nice profit.
The Liechtenstein City Palace
Hans-Adam II, the Prince of Liechtenstein, owns the Palace of Liechtenstein, which is located in Vienna, Austria. The Prince is worth an estimated $3.5 billion, and he also possesses several other palaces, a bank, land, and artwork. The palace was built between 1692 to 1705 and was nearly destroyed during World War II.
It was recently renovated and features Baroque stucco ceilings and several masterpieces of the private art collection of the Prince von und zu Liechtenstein from the Biedermeier era. It's open to visitors, and the first and second floor are available for private events.
A Royal Yacht
The Sultan Qaboos of Oman owns the luxury yacht named Al Said. During construction, the project was given the code name Project Sunflower. It took two years to complete and was delivered to the sultan in 2008. It's the world's second highest displacement superyacht, third most powerful, and fifth longest.
The yacht is worth an estimated $300 million. It contains a whopping 30 luxury cabins to accommodate more than 65 guests. There are 140 crew members who sleep in 70 cabins. It also features a helipad in case you want a helicopter to whoosh you away to an exotic location.
Windsor Castle In Berkshire
Queen Elizabeth II also "owns" Windsor Castle in Berkshire because she is the reigning monarch (it's also part of the Crown estate). William the Conqueror chose the site for the castle near the River Thames because it was easily accessible to London and was next to a Saxon hunting ground. Building started in 1070 and was complete in 1086.
The Queen spends most of her weekends at Windsor Castle. It's an iconic building because it survived the English Civil War and protected royals during WWII bombings. It's one of England's top tourist attractions.
The Largest Cut & Polished Diamond
The King of Thailand is the proud owner of the Golden Jubilee Diamond. The gemstone is the biggest cut and faceted diamond in the world at 545.67 carats. The piece of jewelry is valued at $4-$12 million U.S. dollars. However, it would likely sell for much more at auction.
It's been blessed by Pope John Paul II and the Buddhist Supreme Patriarch of Thailand. The diamond is so rare, experts cut it in a special underground room that was noise-free. It resides in the Royal Thai Palace, where it is part of the Crown Jewels, and due to the diamond's size and value, it is always properly guarded.
The Largest Residential Palace In The World
The Sultan of Brunei currently lives in Istana Nurul Iman, which is the largest residential palace on earth. It has 1,788 rooms, including 257 bathrooms, a banquet hall for up to 5,000 guests, a mosque, a 110-car garage, a stable for the Sultan's 200 polo ponies, and five swimming pools.
The palace also has 564 chandeliers, 44 stairwells, and 18 elevators. It cost around $1.4 billion to build. In addition to being a residence, the palace is used for all the state functions of the government of Brunei. It contains the prime minister's office and is the seat of the Brunei government.
Ascot Racecourse In The South Of England
Ascot Racecourse is also part of the Crown Estate. That means that it belongs to the reigning monarch 'in right of The Crown.' It belongs to Queen Elizabeth II for as long as she lives, and when Prince Charles becomes king, it will belong to him.
The Ascot Racecourse was first built in 1711 by Queen Anne. It's located six miles from Windsor Castle and is one of the top racecourses in the United Kingdom.
Drakensteyn Castle Even Has A Moat
Drakensteyn Castle is a small castle in the hamlet of Lage Vuursche, in Baarn, Netherlands. Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, the country's former Queen, lives in the private residence. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of the castle is its octagonal shape. It also has a moat.
Beatrix purchased the estate in 1959 and started living there in 1963 after a series of renovations. The estate was built in the years 1640–1643. Beatrix raised her family there, bu they moved to The Hague when Beatrix ascended the throne in 1980. Beatrix moved back when she abdicated in 2013.
The Royal Family's Offshore Energy Empire
The Crown Estate is actively involved in the offshore wind sector. The project currently meets over six percent of the UK's electricity demand, and is expected to deliver 10 percent by 2020. One of the goals of the offshore wind sector is to make the nation’s seabed "a brilliant place to invest."
The offshore energy empire includes 30 wind farms and is worth an estimated $1.5 billion. But not everyone in the royal family is happy with the project. Prince Philip once called it "absolutely useless" and Prince Charles referred to the wind farms as a “horrendous blot on the landscape.”
The Sultan Of Brunei's Golden Rolls Royce
When you're royal and wealthy, collecting cars is a pastime. The Sultan Of Brunei proves that with his flashy Rolls Royce he has coated in 24k gold. Wow, that's a ton of money to blow, but when you're worth over $20 billion, it doesn't matter.
His car collection has the most expensive vehicles in the world like custom made Bentleys, Ferraris, Bugattis, and this lovely Rolls Royce. Imagine having a garage like this; you could have a new car each day of the week that costs more than you'll ever earn in your lifetime.
A Very Expensive Painting
The world's most expensive home is $300 million and is owned by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It took three years to complete and is a full-blown smart home, meaning you can control lights with your voice. The crazy thing is, he has a painting worth more than that.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has the Salvator Mundi, a painting of a placid-looking Christ by Leonardo da Vinci. The price tag of that is $450 million.
The Duchy Of Lancaster
Queen Elizabeth II also owns the Duchy of Lancaster, which was founded in the 13th century. It's comprised of 45,550 acres of land including estates, farmland, historic buildings, and malls in England and Wales. The Duchy is valued at approximately $675 million. The good news is that the Duchy is self-financing and does not rely on taxpayer money to function.
Some of the properties in the Duchy include Lancaster Castle, Bolingbroke Castle, Goathland Estate, Pickering Castle and the Savoy Estate in London. As of 2018, the revenue of the Duchy was valued at $25 million.
Another Expensive Painting
Now you know how much the most expensive painting costs, but what about the second most expensive? In 2012, the Qatari family picked up the tab on some pricey artwork. At the time, they spent the most ever on a painting called "The Card Players," which they purchased for $250 million.
This wasn't anything new for the Qatari family, as they were ranked the biggest spenders of art in the world in 2011. If you love art, you love art.
A Lot Of Liquor
Fans of liquor will get a kick out of this. The British Royals have a history of owning expensive things and maintaining lovely collections, so this would be a mixture of those two categories. They receive gifts all the time, even though they can only accept them from certain people.
A popular gift to give is alcohol, so over the years, the British royals have built a large liquor cabinet. Overall, they have roughly $507,018 worth of it stashed away.
The Duchy Of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall, which is nearly 700 years old, is inherited by the eldest son of the reigning monarch of England. That happens to be Prince Charles. It was established by Edward III in 1337. It consists of about 53,000 hectares of land in 23 counties, mostly in the South West of England.
The Duchy capital account has increased from $514 million to $962 million since 2004, and the surplus has increased $12 to $24 million over the same period. The management and control of the Duchy of Cornwall are separate from the Queen's Duchy of Lancaster.
A Private Car Museum
The royal family from Monaco has a litany of expensive things that ordinary citizens can only dream about obtaining. One of their most extravagant purchases feeds into the Prince of Monaco's car collection. In the '50s, Prince Rainier III started collecting expensive cars, and that blossomed into something else.
By 1993, his son decided to share everything the family had collected with the public and opened up a museum for it. There are even racing cars from the Monaco Grand Prix.
Meghan And Harry's Mini
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle likely received plenty of lavish gifts on their famous nuptials that took place on May 19, 2018. But of course, leave it up to the prince to give his blushing bride a shiny new gift on four wheels. Harry gifted Meghan a Mini Countryman Cooper that cost quite a pretty penny.
For nearly $40,000, Meghan’s new all-wheel-drive car with all the fixings even came inscribed with hers and Harry’s initials, in addition to their wedding date, on the dash in front of the passenger seat.
Meghan's Wedding Dress
Speaking of Meghan and Harry’s wedding, there were plenty of lavish details that went into planning the big day but of course, the centerpiece of it all was Meghan’s wedding dress. The dress alone reportedly cost $400,000, which may be chump change for an actress-turned-royal, but for the average citizen, that’s enough to buy a home in most areas of America.
The expensive dress was designed by British fashion designer Clare Waight Keller, who is the artistic director of Givenchy. Meghan chose Keller to design her dress to showcase the success of leading British talent in fashion.
Prince Harry's Rolex
It’s really not surprising that someone like Prince Harry owns a watch that is over $8,000. Harry wears a Rolex Explorer II. We guess it makes sense that a watch like that cost as much as someone’s rent for half a year, but of course, it’s all in the name.
This watch is fabricated with Oystersteel, specially developed for the Rolex brand. This type of steel is a common high-technology allow used in the aerospace and chemical industries, which means that this bad boy isn’t likely to corrode anytime in the near future.
The Queen's Bently Limo
The queen continually adds to her collection of lavish accessories. In 2002, she received an elegant gift that even her dogs can enjoy! A Bentley Limo sounds as expensive as it looks.
The queen only uses it on special occasions, and it's guarded at all times in case anyone wants to try any funny business. It comes equipped with all the royal modifications like bulletproof body and fluffy wool seats in the back for the doggos!
The Royal Yacht
The British royals must travel in style no matter if it's on land, air or water. On land, we just showed how the queen gets around in her Bently Limo, but here's their water transportation is even more lavish and they call it Britannia.
It was built in 1952, and after 1997, it became more of a tourist attraction. Inside, it has silver cutlery sets, doorknobs made with silver and the living rooms are huge.
Meghan's Malibu Home
Even though Meghan relocated across the pond as a result of her marriage, the California girl still had to stay close to her West Coast roots. That’s why she and Harry purchased a marvelous beach house in Malibu, California.
Their $16 million beach house sits right on the edge of the Pacific Ocean and contains eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a cinema, gym, tennis court, and an additional guest house. As if being right on the beach weren’t enough, the house even has a swimming pool and hot tub complete with waterfalls.
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend
With a $400,000 wedding dress and a multi-million dollar beach estate, it comes as no surprise that Meghan Markle's jewelry collection is probably cost enough to put someone through college.
On one occasion, she showed up to a royal engagement wearing gold Birks earrings that cost more than $900 alone. Even when she’s out on the town, she doesn’t shy away from making purchases on a whim. In Edinburgh, she reportedly bought a diamond snowflake ring that cost over $3,600 and another that cost over $1,000.
London's Kensington Palace
Staying in hotels is the only time you might've been inside a 547-room building. We guarantee that you've never been inside of a 547-room palace. Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle have the pleasure of living at Kensington Palace located in England.
It's divided into apartments and offices, and cost almost $7 million to renovate in 2014. "Apartment 1" has a total of 21 rooms in case you were wondering. Which is more than any regular apartment should have.
The Buckingham Palace
In the heart of England, you can find the official residence of the queen. Buckingham Palace has a total of 775 rooms (no big deal). It's a working royal palace, meaning it's not a private residence.
Inside of it, there are 19 staterooms where the royal family can entertain their guests, as well as 52 bedrooms, so there is never a shortage of space! Entire families could live in this place and still have room for more. There are 78 bathrooms, so you can spend your time finding the perfect one to use.
An Expensive Camel
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is known as the prince of Duba, but he is also known as a poet named Fazza. As a prince, Fazza has the ability to purchase pretty much anything he wants, even his very own camel. You might think that camels are easy to come by around the UAE but this is no ordinary camel.
Fazza’s camel is one of the most handsome camels around, having won a notable beauty contest. In case you were wondering, an award-winning beauty camel cost a whopping $2.7 million.
Scottish Estate For Hunting
Fazza’s family also has property near the British royal family in the Scottish Highlands. On more than 63,000 acres owned by the prince’s family, Fazza’s father has plans to build an enormous estate that will reportedly have a 14-bedroom lodge, including a pool and a gym.
The hunting lodge is said to be a once-a-year base for Fazza and his family. It was only a matter of time before they decided to buy property there because Dubai’s royal family has been known to vacation in the Scottish Highlands every year.
Cars That Can Swim
While most people who can afford expensive cars would opt for a luxury vehicle, Fazza has other ideas about where he spends his money. Instead of a Lamborgini or Rolls Royce, Fazza bought an entire fleet of WaterCars.
Made in California, WaterCar designs amphibious vehicles that can travel more than 80 mph on land and 45 mph. Fazza was so impressed that he bought six and it’s not like they came cheap. Each WaterCar cost more than $150,000.
A Vancouver Condo
Fazza made Canadian headlines in 2013 for making the most expensive private real estate transaction in Canadian history. Just what exactly did he buy? For $25 million, Fazza bought the penthouse of the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver.
The purchase was reportedly the most expensive condo ever built and sold but for good measure, he also purchased the two floors below it. For a total of $55 million, Fazza doesn't have to deal with noisy downstairs neighbors.
