Swans, dolphins and a private ATM! The weirdest things Queen Elizabeth owns
As Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth is worth plenty of money, an estimated £350 million according to The Sunday Times Rich List in fact. However, as the reigning monarch she has control over an estate worth far more, and with some very unusual perks too. From swans, to ATMs, these are the weirdest things the Queen owns.
All the swans on the River Thames
The reigning monarch technically owns, or at least co-owns, all of the unclaimed mute swans on open water in England and Wales, under an arrangement that dates back to the 15th century. Queen Elizabeth however "only exercises her ownership on certain stretches of the River Thames and its surrounding tributaries." The ownership of the birds is shared with the Worshipful Company of Vintners and the Worshipful Company of Dyers. Every year, an event named the Swan Upping counts the number of swans in the Queen’s stretches, and this year it happened from July 20 to July 22.
All the dolphins in England and Wales
As well as swans, the Queen also owns many of the country's aquatic creatures. A statute from 1324, when Edward II was on the throne, states: “The King shall have wreck of the sea throughout the realm, whales and sturgeons taken in the sea or elsewhere within the realm, except in certain places privileged by the King." This law still stands today and covers not just whales and sturgeons, but dolphins and porpoises too, when they are captured within three miles of the English and Welsh coastline.
Half of the UK shoreline
It isn’t just the animals in the sea the Crown Estate owns, but most of the shoreline too. According to the Crown Estate website, the reigning monarch owns the “territorial seabed out to 12 nautical miles and around half of the foreshore around England, Wales and Northern Ireland.” Technically it isn’t the Queen who owns this land, but the Crown Estate, which she owns for duration of her reign, so when she dies, it will be passed on to her successor.
A huge handbag collection
The Queen is required to dress formally and attend lots of events, so it follows that she has the designer wardrobe – or at least accessories – to match. Her handbag brand of choice is luxury London designer Launer and its CEO estimates that Her Majesty owns approximately 200 of them, wrote The Telegraph. Apparently, her favorite styles are the Royale and Traviata.
Most of Regent Street, London
Regent Street in London is one of the city’s best-known thoroughfares, filled with restaurants and retailers, as well as some of the most distinguished architecture. As with the shoreline, the famous road is owned by the Crown Estate and the surplus revenue that comes from Regent Street goes directly to the Treasury to help pay for the nation's affairs.
A private ATM
Although the Queen rarely – if ever – uses cash, there is a private ATM installed in the basement of Buckingham Palace which the royal family are allowed to use. The ATM is owned by Coutts, one of Britain’s most exclusive banks.
Priceless art
The Queen’s position puts her in charge of The Royal Collection, one of the world's largest and most impressive art collections which comprises of approximately 150,000 artworks from some of the great masters. Although she doesn’t own it, it is simply held in trust by her, many of these pieces hang in royal palaces and estates.
Queen Victoria’s sketchbook
Like most families, the British royal family love to pass personal artefacts down through generations. As well as art, The Royal Collection also includes some historical items, including Queen Victoria’s sketchbook. The current Queen’s great-great-grandmother was an avid amateur artist who regularly sketched on visits to Balmoral, and her artwork is still in the family.
A national collection of mulberries
The Queen is the specified holder of the National Mulberry Collection, which comprises 29 species on the grounds of Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, say the Daily Mail. The royal connection to the fruit dates back to the 17th century, when King James I planted a large mulberry grove on the site now occupied by Buckingham Palace, planning to rear his own silkworms.
The best seats at Wimbledon
The world-famous tennis tournament concluded this month on July 11, as Novak Djokovic beat Matteo Berrettini in the hotly-anticipated men’s final. The Queen was not in attendance this year, but she could choose to at any moment, as she commands the best seat in the house: the Royal Box. In 2010, Her Majesty stunned the crowd at Wimbledon when she showed up to watch Andy Murray play, as it was the first time that she had attended the event in more than 30 years. Although her mother-in-law rarely attends, The Duchess of Cambridge often appears courtside.
