The Corona virus not only undermined the freedom of Queen Elizabeth II, and restricted her movement and forced her to be isolated for months in Windsor Castle, but even from her treasury, it caused the British crown to incur tens of millions of dollars in losses, in an unprecedented situation experienced by the oldest ruling family in the world.

The Queen and her surroundings will have to approach a little "austerity", after the latest figures released by the Queen's Treasury revealed that the latter had lost $ 44.5 million since the outbreak of the epidemic, due to the decline in tourist incomes for the Queen's palaces, which are considered one of the most important tourist attractions in the country.

According to the expectations of the Queen's Treasury, the latter will lose 6.5 million dollars annually over the next 3 years, due to the decline in visits to Buckingham Palace and other royal residences. Nevertheless, royal account officials have sent messages to reassure the public that the Queen will not request any additional financial support from the government and will depend on What income she has.

So that some do not believe that the Queen will go through a financial crisis as a result of the Corona pandemic, as the incomes of the British Crown make the royal family among the richest in the world, with the multiplicity of sources of income that respond to the Queen, which makes her treasury immune to any shocks or crises, so what are these sources?

Sovereign support

Forbes magazine estimates Queen Elizabeth II’s fortune at about $ 530 million, but in return the British royal family is a global brand and an important component of the UK’s soft power, making it able to attract millions of tourists, thanks to its popularity generating the family. The property totals $ 2 billion to the state treasury, which is tourism revenue.

On the other hand, the Queen receives a subsidy from taxpayers' money under the "royal subsidy", which amounts to $ 110 million annually, which is equivalent to about 0.65 pounds sterling as a contribution from every citizen of Britain.

The State Treasury grants this annual amount to the Queen to cover her expenses in the performance of her official duties, foreign trips, and official receptions, as well as royal residencies.

To scrutinize more closely the item "royal support", it mainly comes from allocating 25% of the proceeds of the so-called "crown real estate", which are lands, buildings and farms that are considered among the property of the royal family, and are currently being used for commercial or tourist purposes, as is the case for buildings. Oxford Street in the heart of London, which is considered to be the property of the Queen, is a street known for its commercial activity.

However, the ownership of these properties by the Queen is under the clause of "Representing the People", so no member of the royal family has the right to sell or dispose of them.

Queen Elizabeth has lost 44.5 million dollars since the outbreak of the epidemic due to the decline in tourist incomes for her (European) palaces

Duchy of Lancaster

The Duchy of Lancaster is one of the most important sources of income for the Queen, and it is a portfolio that includes private lands that include commercial and agricultural projects and residential complexes, all of which are owned by the Queen. This area, which extends over an area of ​​18 thousand hectares, has a long history dating back to the year 1265, and the income of this duchy reaches 26 million dollars The queen inherited this area from her father.

The Queen relies on these incomes to finance her own expenses, in addition to granting part of these revenues to members of the royal family, in order to cover the tasks that they carry out in the name of the Queen, whether inside or outside the country.

Duchy of Cornwall

This duchy is considered one of the queen's entities, which are vast assets and lands, and the eldest son of the Queen Prince Charles benefits from its income, and with it he contributes in many charitable activities, and also covers his official activities, in addition to financing the expenses of Prince Charles' children, before Prince Harry announces his withdrawal From performing any royal mission and giving up any support from public money, the annual income of this duchy is about $ 40 million.

The jewelry that the queen appears in on official occasions is a national treasure (Getty Images)

Valuables

Some may think that the jewelry available to the Queen and appearing in it at official occasions makes her one of the richest women in the world, but these treasures of the jewels and the famous British crown are national treasures and are part of the royal collection that the Queen keeps as a trust on behalf of the nation.

The palace's valuable possessions consist of thousands of paintings, textiles, furniture, and pictures that furnish the royal palaces, especially Buckingham Palace.

On the other hand, the Queen has a collection of rare antiques, and a large collection of royal stamps that she inherited from her father, George V, in addition to having a country house worth $ 65 million, as well as a mansion, "Balmoral" in Scotland, which is estimated to be worth about $ 140 million.

Queen and tax

Does Queen Elizabeth pay taxes?

This is a question that many Britons ask, given the sensitivity with which citizens deal with the behavior of paying taxes, and the fact that the Queen was exempt from paying any tax until the year 1992, after a fire broke out in her favorite residence in Windsor, at which time the debate raged about who would be responsible for the expenses of repatriation. Restoration of the palace is the Queen or the state treasury.

The Queen then decided to pay the tax, and thus she would be the first to do so since 1930. The Queen also pays "optional fees to the British Tax Authority" as compensation for the profits achieved by her financial assets, as well as for the property she inherited from her father.