The Wealthiest Royals In The World
The world is fascinated with royalty, and it's an obsession that makes a lot of sense. Royals have power, status, and stylish wardrobes. There's also the fact that most royals tend to have a lot of money. While royal families typically live pretty luxurious lives, not all royals are created equal. Some members of royal families live fairly modest lives and even hold down jobs. Other royals, however, are so rich that they have more money than they could possibly spend in a lifetime — not that they don't try their best.
Royals get their money from a lot of sources. Some inherit their wealth, while other royals have built up their fortunes through good investments. Wherever their wealth comes from, some royals are just plain loaded with millions — or billions — of dollars at their disposal. Their jaw-dropping fortunes are enough to make any commoner envious. These are some of the wealthiest royals in the world.
King Harald V didn't let being one of the world's wealthiest royals go to his head
To commoners, a fortune of $30 million seems unattainably vast. In terms of royal wealth, however, it's actually a comparatively small sum. According to Celebrity Net Worth, King Harald V of Norway's wealth still qualifies him as one of the world's richest royals, but his fortune is a far cry from that of the royals who have billions in the bank.
King Harald seems content with his comparatively modest wealth, though. His 1968 wedding to Sonja Haraldsen proved that he never let being royal go to his head. The then-prince defied royal tradition and his family to marry Haraldsen who, as a commoner and the daughter of a clothing merchant, was not considered to be a suitable bride for the wealthy royal. According to Vogue, he told his father, King Olav V, that if he couldn't marry Haraldsen, he would never marry or produce any heirs, thus bringing an end to the family's reign. King Olav gave in, and the rest is history.
Prince William became one of the world's wealthiest royals thanks to his mom
While he's not the ruling monarch, or even first in line for the British throne, royal Prince William still has quite a substantial fortune. According to Celebrity Net Worth, part of his estimated $30 million fortune comes from his late mother. On his 30th birthday, he inherited $15.5 million from Princess Diana's estate (his brother, Prince Harry, received a similar amount, according to Page Six), as reported by Today. His wife, Kate Middleton, is also worth a pretty penny – an estimated $10 million – presumably thanks, in part, to her wealthy parents' party supply company, Party Pieces.
Prince William also earned a decent salary while he was in the military, reportedly making $62,000 per year as an East Anglian Air Ambulance pilot. This money, however, isn't factored into his considerable net worth, as he donated his salary to charity.
Wealthy royal Queen Margrethe II spent her fortune in an unusual way
With a net worth of approximately $40 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is one of the world's wealthiest royals. She has used part of her fortune in quite an unusual way. In 2003, she and her husband, Prince Henrik, commissioned a tomb fit for a queen. The tomb was crafted by Bjørn Nørgaard, a professor and sculptor. According to The Local, the tomb cost a whopping $5 million and took 15 years to complete. The tomb is made of a variety of materials including Danish granite, Faroese basalt, and Greenland marble for the base, and it features a transparent capsule with pillars designed to look like elephant heads.
In spite of the extravagant cost of what was intended to be the final resting place of both Queen Margrethe and her husband, Prince Henrik eventually decided he did not want his remains kept in the crypt that is below the expensive tomb. When he passed away in February 2018, he had his ashes scattered.
King Carl XVI Gustaf is down to earth in spite of being one of the world's wealthiest royals
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has been something of a scandalous figure throughout his life. According to E! News, in his younger years, he had a string of girlfriends and a reputation as a playboy. While he settled down a bit after inheriting the throne in 1973 and marrying his wife, Silvia Sommerlath, in 1976, controversy still found him. In the 1980s, he was criticized for slamming the Norweigian prime minister over the cruelty of seal hunting. The king reportedly didn't feel accepted by the people of Sweden until he was middle-aged.
King Carl XVI Gustaf is certainly embraced by his people now, and, even if he wasn't, his net worth would have gone a long way to soothe him. According to Celebrity Net Worth, King Carl is one of the wealthiest royals in the world with a net worth of $70 million.
Queen Beatrix is retired, but still one of the wealthiest royals in the world
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands stepped down from the throne after a 33-year rule in 2013. Even though she passed on the crown to her son, King Willem-Alexander, Queen Beatrix still remains a popular and well-known member of the Dutch royal family — not to mention a wealthy one. Since stepping down from the throne, her royal title has technically been HRH Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (per Hello!), but she is still often referred to as Queen Beatrix by the world, who fondly remember her reign.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Queen Beatrix has an estimated net worth of $200 million. Queen Beatrix isn't the only fabulously wealthy Dutch royal. According to Tatler, her son, King Willem-Alexander, must also be in pretty good financial shape. He reportedly gets paid a salary of $1,124,396 each year.
Prince Charles is worth millions, making him one of the wealthiest royals in the world
Reports vary greatly on Prince Charles' net worth, but it's vast enough to qualify him as one of the wealthiest royals in the world. Prince Charles is also one of the world's best-known royals, thanks to the popularity of the British royal family, not to mention his marriage to the iconic Princess Diana. The heir to the British throne is reportedly worth an estimated $100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Much of Prince Charles' net worth comes from his estate, the massive Duchy of Cornwall, as noted by a report. Prince Charles also draws an income from an annual sovereign grant.
Prince Charles may be fabulously wealthy, but he's far from greedy. While Prince Charles is not legally required to pay taxes on the income he gets from the Duchy of Cornwall (via PopSugar), he voluntarily pays taxes on all of his income.
Queen Elizabeth II is a wealthy royal who voluntarily pays taxes
Many might assume that Queen Elizabeth II is a billionaire, but she's far from it. That's not to say that she isn't rich, though. With an estimated fortune of $600 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, she's still one of the wealthiest royals in the world. Much of the British royal family's vast fortune comes from the Crown Estate, which is valued at an estimated $19 billion. While the Crown Estate isn't actually owned by Queen Elizabeth, its value means that the U.K. is an economic powerhouse.
According to PopSugar, Queen Elizabeth, whose life has been dramatized in Netflix's "The Crown," isn't holding on to all her wealth, although she could. While she is not legally required to pay income taxes, she chooses to pay an income tax on her private income, as well as income she receives from the Privy Purse that is not earmarked for official royal business.
In addition to being one of the world's wealthiest royals, Queen Elizabeth is also the longest-reigning monarch in the world. According to BBC News, she has been on the throne since 1952.
Prince Albert II is worth way more than the Philadelphia house he purchased
Monaco's Prince Albert II is one of the wealthiest royals in the world thanks to his estimated net worth of $1 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Not only is the royal prosperous, but he is also from quite a prosperous nation. According to Business Insider, the country is one of the wealthiest in the world with up to 32% of its population consisting of millionaires.
Prince Albert is the son of former actress Grace Kelly, one of the most beautiful royals in history, making him the descendant of Hollywood royalty as well as actual royalty. He inherited the throne from his father, Prince Rainier, who passed away in 2005.
Given his extreme wealth, it should come as no surprise that he was able to purchase his mother's childhood home in the Philadelphia area for $755,000 in 2016, as People reported. "The house was very beautiful and very special to our family," he told the magazine.
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is one of the world's wealthiest royals
With an estimated net worth of $2 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is one of the richest royals in the world. The sheikh is the ruler of Qatar. According to BBC News, Sheikh Tamim was named emir in 2013, after his father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, abdicated. The move was an unexpected one, as emirs of the gulf states typically rule until their deaths.
According to Global Finance, Sheikh Tamim isn't alone in his wealth in Qatar. While most citizens of the nation don't match his net worth, the country is still quite prosperous. Qatar has the highest GDP in the world thanks to its small population (roughly 2.6 million) and its vast reserves of oil, gas, and petrochemicals.
The wealthy royal has made a point of discouraging excessive spending. In 2016, he gave a speech urging against a "culture of consumption" (via Arabian Business). Sheikh Tamim added that he wanted to put an end to "extravagance and waste" and build a "culture of planning, work and achievement" in Qatar.
King Mohammed VI is a wealthy royal who has been criticized for his extravagant spending
With an estimated net worth of $2.1 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth, King Mohammed VI of Morocco is one of the wealthiest royals in the world. The monarch is no stranger to excess, and according to DW, King Mohammed's lavish lifestyle includes a collection of diamond-encrusted luxury watches.
While King Mohammed is one of the richest royals in the world, he isn't one of the most popular. The royal has been criticized for his expenditures. According to Middle East Eye, he is nicknamed the "king of the poor" because of the money he spends and the high poverty rates in his country. The fact that the royal spends so much money does not go over well in the country, considering that minimum wage is less than $7 and 5 million residents have to make do on less than $1.19 per day.
Wealthy royal Prince Hans-Adam II has a vast fortune
Liechtenstein may be a small country, but it's quite a wealthy one. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Prince Hans-Adam II, the oldest son of Prince Francis Joseph II, has an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion. While Europe's monarchies are often ruled by a king or queen, Liechtenstein's head of state is traditionally a prince. According to Britannica, Prince Hans-Adam II has been the nation's ruling monarch since 1989.
The fortune of Liechtenstein's royal family dates back to the time of the Crusades, originating with land acquired in the 12th century. According to Bloomberg, the monarch's vast personal wealth also includes two palaces in Vienna and a collection of Renaissance art. Prince Hans-Adam's wealth landed him on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index of the world's 500 richest people in 2017, although, as of this writing, he appears to have fallen off the list.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum is a wealthy royal who dropped millions on a horse
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum is worth an estimated $14 billion. The sheikh is both the ruler of Dubai and the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates.
Sheikh Mohammed lives the sort of decadent lifestyle that only a billionaire can afford. News.com.au noted in 2017 that Sheikh Mohammed had been trying to win the prestigious Melbourne Cup for 19 years, spending nearly $1 billion on racing operations over the years. In 2019, CNN reported that the sheikh spent upwards of $4 million on a young racehorse. According to Superyachts.com, he also owns the second largest private yacht in the world, called Dubai.
Sheikh Mohammed's son, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is poised to inherit the throne, but he's already inherited his dad's extravagant lifestyle. The crown prince flaunts his luxurious life on Instagram, where he has over 12 million followers. According to the Independent, the prince is a jet-setter who, naturally, flies first class.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan is one of the wealthiest and most powerful royals in the world
With an estimated net worth of $18 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan is one of the wealthiest monarchs in the world. He's the hereditary ruler of the United Arab Emirate's richest emirate, Abu Dhabi, as well as the president of the UAE. Sheikh Khalifa is also one of the most powerful men in the world. In 2018, Forbes ranked him 43rd on their list of most powerful people.
Aside from his personal fortune, Sheikh Khalifa also controls Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund. With assets reported at a total of $830 billion, Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund is one of the largest in the world. The monarch also boasts 97.8 billion barrels of oil reserves.
In 2019, he was elected to a fourth five-year term, as reported by Gulf News.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah is a royal so wealthy he regularly drops $20k on haircuts
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei is one of the world's wealthiest royals with an estimated fortune of $30 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth. As reported by Insider, he also has a reputation for being a particularly extravagant ruler. When you're worth tens of billions, a $20,000 haircut, 500 Rolls Royces, and a 1,788-room palace might not seem like a big deal, but, to the rest of the world, they are marks of staggering wealth. The sultan also has a private zoo that, according to the Bangkok Post, includes exotic animals and birds trained to play basketball, ride bikes, sing, and perform other tricks.
According to BBC News, in addition to being one of the world's richest monarchs, Hassanal Bolkiah is also one of the longest-reigning. The sultan took the throne in 1967, following the abdication of his father. This makes him the second longest-reigning monarch in the world after Queen Elizabeth II, who has been ruling since 1952.
Wealthy royal King Maha Vajiralongkorn owns the largest diamond in the world
King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand (also known by his official title, King Rama X) has an astonishing estimated net worth of $30 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth. This jaw-dropping sum easily makes King Maha Vajiralongkorn one of the richest royals in the world. Through the Crown Property Bureau, he also claims 16,210 acres of land and 40,000 rental contracts in Thailand.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn also owns "the world's largest faceted diamond," which is part of the nation's crown jewels, as noted by Reuters. The Golden Jubilee Diamond, as it is known, is a 546.67-carat diamond. The diamond is worth upwards of $12 million!
Approximately $9 billion of the royal's wealth is in stocks. According to Reuters, he has "a 23% stake in Siam Commercial Bank, Thailand's second largest lender and 33.3% in country's largest industrial conglomerate, Siam Cement Group."