The Royal Family is a British institution that is here to stay. Thanks to the immense popularity of Netflix series The Crown, there has been renewed international interest in the royals. People from all over the world come to Britain to gaze at Buckingham Palace in the hope of glimpsing the Queen. The majestic palace surrounded by guards creates a powerful and imposing image that represents the pageantry of the institution. Synonymous with London, the palace is a beacon for tourists the world over.
Despite several recent disharmonies within the Royal Family, the Queen is still a much loved figure, having reigned for over 69 years. Inevitably, the Royals have vast sums of wealth, which is comprised of public money, numerous properties and swathes of land, as well as private business ventures. Here's how much these members of the Royal Family make each year.
10 Queen Elizabeth II
Sadly, the Queen is currently grieving the loss of her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip. The late prince's funeral cost taxpayers a few million in security fees, but that's only a fraction of how much money the Queen earns a year. Each year, the Queen makes a tax-free $97.2 million and has an overall net worth of around $500 million.
9 Prince Charles
As Prince Charles anxiously awaits the day he becomes reigning monarch, he already makes a hefty annual salary fit for a king. In addition to being the largest landowner in the UK thanks to the duchy (Charles' private estate), he also owns a successful business, Duchy Originals, which sells high quality cookies, breads, and pastries. Subsequently, he makes £22,244,000 a year (over $30 million).
8 Camilla Parker Bowles
The second wife of Prince Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles was already affluent before her marriage to the bereaved prince, having been born into an aristocratic family. While she isn't as popular as Princess Diana, we doubt Camilla cares too much about the haters when she rakes in $808,333 a year.
7 Prince William
As a working member of the Royal Family, Prince William earned $70,000 a year as a helicopter pilot for the Royal Air Force. However, William is known for his charitable efforts and actually donated his RAF salary.
But he also has other means of income. He inherited $12.75 million from his late mother, Princess Diana, and receives money from both his father and the state. From Prince Charles, he gets an extra $6 million a year, while the taxpayer foots the bill for his travel expenses, which cost almost $100,000 in 2018.
6 Kate Middleton
Before becoming the Duchess of Cambridge in 2011, Kate Middleton was already worth millions. Her family's party supply business, Party Pieces, is worth $50 million, of which Kate owns around $10-20 million. Her annual allowance is $6 million, a large portion of which she enjoys spending on elegant clothes.
5 Prince Harry
Although he's decided to make it on his own, Prince Harry will always have his royal title, Duke of Sussex. Since leaving the institution, he has already secured two new jobs: he is chief impact officer at BetterUp, a mental health services business, and celebrity commissioner for the Aspen Institute's Commission on Information Disorder.
Prior to ceasing royal duties, 95% of Harry's annual income came from his father's Duchy of Cornwall, from which he received £5 million (approximately $7 million) a year. Now, Harry will see his annual salary increase due to a $100 million Netflix deal and a fee of $1 million per public speaking engagement with Harry Walker Agency.
4 Meghan Markle
Like her husband, Meghan Markle's royal title of Duchess of Sussex is for life. Prior to marrying into royalty, Meghan was already extremely rich due to a $450,000 annual salary for her role on Suits. As she is no longer a working member of the Royal Family, Meghan has returned to content creation and her Spotify podcast deal will see her earning around $3.5 million a year.
3 Prince Andrew
The Queen's second son, Prince Andrew, is currently wanted by the FBI for his dealings with pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. While the Royals are typically characterized for their refinement and humility, Andrew has long been renowned for his arrogance and boorish tendencies.
He makes around $275,000 a year, which has confused some people as his annual expenditure appears to be in the millions. It remains a mystery where the source of this extra income lies, but his dealings with Epstein have certainly led to a number of shady theories.
2 Princess Beatrice
As the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, Princess Beatrice supposedly doesn't receive public money, but she technically still does, as her father funds her lifestyle and his money comes from the state. She has about $5 million in her trust fund.
Beatrice works as the Vice President of Partnerships and Strategy for Afiniti, a multinational data and software company. While the company hasn't publicly revealed her annual salary, the average salary for the Vice President role is $107,000 a year.
1 Princess Eugenie
The second daughter of Andrew and Fergie, Princess Eugenie received $2.7 million worth of taxpayers' money for security at her 2018 wedding. However, she is not considered a working member of the Royal Family, so she doesn't receive an annual allowance despite her HRH status.
Instead, she is associate director of London art gallery Hauser & Wirth, which gives her an annual salary of $145,000.