Expensive Things Owned By The Queen Of England

#1 The Royal Ship Britannia

Built in 1952 and launched in 1953, The Royal Ship Britannia has already traveled over 1 million nautical miles around the world's oceans and seas. Decommissioned in 1997, the ship became a docked tourist attraction, occasionally making its way from port to port. A floating palace, the ship has all the luxuries of home for the Royal Family including silver cutlery, silver door knobs, and spacious living quarters. It can house six cars and even has servants living quarters on board.

#2 Art Collection

Queen Elizabeth II is the owner of the largest private art collection in the world. She currently owns over 1 million paintings, drawings, watercolors, and prints. Many works in the collection are owned by the Crown but most are her own private pieces. Some of the items in the collection include portraits by Michaelangelo, Rembrandt, and over 600 drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. She also has world renowned furniture pieces and sculptures in the collection.

#3 Bentley State Limousine

It's the official State automobile for Her Majesty and was a present for her Golden Jubilee in 2002. It is only used for special events and is heavily guarded at all times. It features a twin turbocharged 6.75-liter V8 engine and can hit speeds of 130 miles per hour. The bodywork and glass on the car are bullet and bomb proof, while the rear seat, which is made of lambswool, has a place for her dogs.

#4 1984 Jaguar Saloon

The Queens valuable collectibles include a 1984 Jagua Daimler Double Six Long-Wheelbase Saloon. The car was specially made for her to make her grand 1984 trip around the Windsor estate. It held all the most modern and expensive features for the time including a communication system, flashing lights, and bulletproof armor. The car has been used to transport eminent world personalities, prime ministers, heads of state, and other officials around the kingdom. It was auctioned off in 2010 for $78,000.

#5 Land

One of the biggest land owners on the planet, she currently holds over 6 million acres of land worldwide, which is one-sixth of the world's land mass. She is currently the only person on earth who owns entire countries and countries that are not in her sovereign territory. Estimates value her land and over $33 trillion US dollars.

#6 Royal Fisheries

The Queen owns all open water fisheries withing the boundries of the United Kingdom. All sturgeon, whales, porpoises, and dolphins belong to her or the current monarch at any given time. This ruling comes from a law passed in 1324 when King Edward II but never became known until 2004 when a ship caught and sold sturgeon in Swansea Bay and were captured by the Royal Navy and forced to turn over the fish and then fines for selling them.

#7 The Entire Swan Population

Whoever sits on the throne owns all 5, 300 pairs of mating swans or mute swans that sit in unopened waters in the UK. Swan keepers are frequently seen on the Thames or other waters checking and logging the swans as they are owned by the Crown and kept thriving. Residents know the Royals own the swans and they are treated as royalty themselves. Sometimes a pair will be sold to someone requesting them from the Queen.

#8 McDonald's Restaurant

The Queen unknowingly purchased a McDonald's when she bought a retail park near Windsor Castle in 2008. The Bath Road Retail Park is visible from the queen's quarters in the castle and she decided to buy it. She paid $92 million for the retail park but planned to make it into a garden until she saw how lucrative it was. She enjoys seeing cars go through the fast food restaurants drive=thru.

#9 Sandringham Estate

Located in the English county of Norfolk, this home has been in the royal family's possession for 44 years. The property is surrounded by 22 acres of lush green fields and forests. It features an amazing entrance hall, bay windows, a ballroom, and gas lighting. It was constructed in 1771.

#10 Balmoral Castle

Purchased in 1852 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the castle is now the private property of Queen Elizabeth II. It's her favorite place to spend her time out of the public eye. Not suitable for modern living, the castle was rebuilt in 1856 and then updated in 1933. The Royal flag of Scotland is flown on the castle when the Queen is not in residence but is replaced by the Royal Standard when she is in residence. The castle sits on 22,000 acres and features some of the best architecture in the Kingdom.

#11 Buckingham Palace

Featuring830,000 square feet of floor space and 775 room, the palace is considered to be the largest private dwelling in the world. Today it is the official home of the Royal British Family. With 78 bathrooms, 55 guestrooms, and 19 staterooms, the entire palace is decorated with expensive art and furnishings. There is a ballroom, state dining room, music hall, and private apartments, which is where the Queen works and lives.

#12 Windsor Castle

It's the second official castle of the Queen, but the most beautiful. Windsor Castle sits on just 13 acres of land and features Victorian and Georgian design. The interior is French and English design with a little Victorian thrown in for good measure. Amazing artwork, sculptures, paintings, and suits of armor line the hallways. It suffered serious fire damage in 1992 but has been restored to its former glory. The Queen spends her weekends here, at the castle located in the county of Berkshire.

#13 Holyrood House

The third official residence of the Queen, Holyrood house is the place where guests are greeted and state visits and ceremonies are held. It's open for tourist visits throughout the year except for when the Royals are there. Te rooms are decorated with portraits of Scottish monarchs and holds a glorious dining room, ballroom, and Throne room. It's the smallest of all the residences, sitting on just 10 acres of land.

#14 Hillsborough Castle

The main residence used by the Royal Family on their frequent visits to Northern Ireland and was constructed in 1797. The 18th-century Georgian mansion is located in the village of Hillsborough and features a Throne room, dining room, dance hall, office space, and 33 bedrooms. The gardens circle the entire castle and can be seen from any room.

#15 Royal Range Rover

It was this car that the Queen was spotted driving herself during the Royal Horse Show in 2010. It features a custom made corgi statue on the bonnet. The automobile is worth $400,000 and has an 8 speed transmission and twin turbocharged V* engine.

#16 The Crown Jewels

One of the largest and most expensive jewelry collections in the world, the Queen outright owns most of it, with the rest belonging to the Crown. It includes her royal crown, The Girls of Great Britain Tiara, which is the most expensive jewel of them all, the Collet diamond necklace, several South African necklaces, bracelets, pendants, diamond and emerald earrings, a 22.8 carat diamond ring and a snuff box from Turkey covered in over 100 diamonds valued at over $1.4 billion. It also includes personal gifts to the Queen like the Vladimir Tiara, worth $1 million, Prince Alberts sapphire brooch valued at $4 million and the Cullinan Jewels valued at over $52 million. The jewels are normally kept in an underground bunker at the Castle.

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