How King Charles Became Richer Than His Mother Queen Elizabeth II Ever Was

Queen Elizabeth and King Charles both wear ceremonial robes and sit on gold thrones.

The British Royal Family could never be thought of as "fiscally challenged," but King Charles's increasing wealth is apparently unprecedented. According to a recently released report, The King's personal wealth has skyrocketed in the past year alone. As a result, the monarch is now far, far richer than his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, ever was during her lifetime.

British newspaper The Sunday Times publish an annual "Rich List," evaluating the wealthiest people living in the United Kingdom. In their report released on May 16, the publication revealed that, although King Charles hasn't cracked the top 10, he does have a reported wealth of approximately $850 million (£640 million). For reference, Charles's alleged net worth in 2024 was $770 million.

Prior to Queen Elizabeth's death in 2022, The Sunday Times reported her to be personally worth a staggering $486 million. While a plethora of factors have allowed King Charles's personal wealth to grow, eclipsing his royal mother seems quite the feat.

Queen Elizabeth was reportedly worth $486 million prior to her death in 2022. (Image credit: Getty Images)

King Charles faced controversy in 2024 regarding some of the ways he makes money. An investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches looked at how Charles and his son, Prince William, earn money via the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchess of Cornwall, respectively. Both duchies are private estates, which are owned and run by the Royal Family, and operate completely independently of their official work or the funding they receive from the government via the British tax payer.

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As reported by The Sunday Times, they "discovered how the duchies are making millions of pounds each year by charging government departments, councils, businesses, mining companies, and the general public via a series of commercial rents and feudal levies."

One of the more shocking discoveries related to a $14 million deal struck with King Charles's Duchy of Lancaster "to store a fleet of electric ambulances, owned by Guy's and St Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust in London, in one of the estate's warehouses for 15 years," per The Independent.