King Charles receives an annual salary through the Sovereign Grant, which is used to cover expenses related to official duties, such as royal tours and the maintenance of royal residences.
While the grant is currently approximately £86.3 million, it is anticipated to rise to £132 million next year, following a record profit of £1.1 billion by the Crown Estate, largely due to offshore wind farms.
However, Charles and Camilla have additional sources of income. They also receive funds from the Duchy of Lancaster, a hereditary estate that includes 18,000 hectares of land in Lancaster and Yorkshire, as well as properties in London.
Valued at £645 million, the Duchy generates an annual profit of £20 million. Before becoming King, Charles benefited from the Duchy of Cornwall, which covers land in southwest England, but this was transferred to Prince William when Charles ceased to be Duke of Cornwall.
Investments also contribute to their net worth. According to The Guardian, King Charles’s total net worth is estimated at around £1.8 billion, with part of this coming from properties, cars, and private collections. The exact amount from investments is uncertain, but estimates suggest it could be around £142 million.
The late Queen likely passed her investments to Charles, and it is estimated that her holdings, worth approximately £43 million in 1993, would be valued at £118 million today. Since inheritance tax was not applied, these assets would have transferred to Charles in full.
Regarding property, while Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and Kensington Palace are royal residences, they are owned by the state and do not generate personal income for Charles and Camilla.
However, they personally own Balmoral in Scotland and Sandringham in Norfolk. Balmoral is estimated to be worth £80 million, while Sandringham is valued around £250 million. Sandringham generates income from tourism, rental properties, and farmland.
The royal family also possesses a private collection of jewels, started by King Charles’s great-grandmother, Queen Mary. The Guardian estimates the collection’s value at £533 million. Due to their royal provenance, the jewels could potentially fetch even higher prices if auctioned. The late Queen’s extensive jewellery collection, likely passed on to Charles and Camilla, adds to this wealth.
Inheritance from the late Queen, estimated at around £500 million, would have been transferred to Charles in its full amount, as the royal family does not pay inheritance tax. Additionally, Charles is likely to have inherited about £70 million in assets from the late Queen Mother.
Other assets include a private car collection valued at approximately £6.3 million and racehorses worth around £27 million, inherited from the late Queen.
Although Charles has begun auctioning some of these horses, fetching about £2.3 million so far. Another unique asset is a private stamp collection started by King George V, valued at roughly £100 million and including rare stamps from around the world.
