Charles III's $745 Million Fortune Surpasses Elizabeth II's Wealth by a Mile

It is no secret that the British royal family is one of the richest families in Britain. Now, with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son approaching (scheduled for May 6), many people are wondering how much money Charles III actually has.

Well, it turns out the new king is exceptionally rich even by royal standards. We've got some numbers for you, and they're sure to surprise.

King Charles III's personal fortune is estimated at £600 million (around $745 million), according to The Sunday Times Rich List. By comparison, the personal wealth of late Elizabeth II was estimated at only about £370 million ($460 million). How can we explain such a drastic difference in the mother and son's net worths?

Well, it looks like Charles strived to build up his fortune from early on. He saved up much of the money he got when he was managing the Duchy of Cornwall estates (as the eldest son of the reigning monarch is supposed to), and he also expanded into real estate development and selling brand products, founding the Waitrose Duchy Organic food company.

Furthermore, Charles is said to be thrifty almost to the point of comical miserliness. It's been reported that the King avoids buying new clothes while his old garments are still fine, which is actually quite common among the rich, and he also tries to save up money on electricity bills.

The latter may have something to do with Charles' image of a modern, environmentally conscious man, but it looks like he has been cultivating this habit for a long time.

People of Britain are probably glad to find out that their new king tends to avoid spending his money frivolously. The biggest known loss of fortune in Charles' entire life was his divorce with Diana, which cost him around $21 million — but, as his current net worth shows, he recovered from it quickly.

Certainly, Charles III is also known for his philanthropy. The King established no less than 16 charitable organizations and now serves as president in all of them, and he is also a patron of hundreds more.

But while Charles himself has made personal contributions to these funds, they mostly work to attract other people's money.

Source: The Times.