When King Charles III ascended the throne in September 2022, he inherited more than just his title.
The monarch also gained control of the Crown's estimated $42 billion, or £33.7 billion, in royal assets, $9.5 billion, or £7.6 billion, of which is in real estate, according to a 2022 Forbes report. And thanks to a rule the UK government introduced in 1993, he didn't have to pay an inheritance tax on any of his personal real estate.
The properties range from quaint countryside estates such as Kew Palace to the gargantuan Buckingham Palace with its 775 rooms and priceless collections of furniture, artwork, and other artifacts.
Forbes reported that the entire Crown Estate — including royal palaces and homes as well as properties such as Regent Street, a major shopping street in London's West End; and the Ascot Racecourse — netted a £312.7 million, or about $388.9 million, profit in fiscal year 2022. These profits largely came from public-tour admissions, gift-shop sales, and leased retail space.
The Forbes report provided estimated values of 11 historic buildings in Charles' real-estate empire, which are outlined below. The actual worth of these royal properties is impossible to know for sure since they're unlikely to ever go on sale.
Representatives for the royal family and Historic Royal Palaces, an organization that maintains six of the Crown's historic buildings, did not respond to Insider's requests for comment on this story. Royal Collection Trust, which manages Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, Windsor Castle, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, told Insider, "We would not speculate on the value of the royal residences."
Take a look inside Charles' most expensive royal palaces, estates, and historic homes.