When he ascended the throne in September, the 73-year-old sovereign also took control of an empire worth $42 billion, most of it in real estate.

His properties range from Buckingham Palace, an official residence valued at $4.9 billion, to Highgrove House, a country house in Gloucestershire that he bought in 1980 for £865,000 (equivalent to $3.7 million today), now estimated at 39 million dollars.

Despite only having held the crown for a few weeks, Charles is expected to break seven generations of tradition and move his residence from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House, his current home. But he will continue to spend most of his time at Highgrove.

He will therefore pay an annual rent of $740,000 to his son William, who succeeded him as Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and now owns Highgrove House in the Duchy of Cornwall.

These properties are part of a large portfolio of seven palaces, 10 castles, 12 residences, 56 holiday cottages and 14 ancient ruins.

Apart from Balmoral Castle in Scotland and Sandringham House in Norfolk, which he inherited from the Queen, none of these luxurious residences and historic sites are personally owned by the King. The majority are held by the Crown Estate, the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall, institutions controlled “on behalf of the Crown” throughout the reign.

The others were “held in trust” by the monarchy for their successors and the nation, and a further four are held by two foundations established by the king when he was Prince of Wales.

Through the crown estates and duchies, Charles also controls $12.9 billion of UK commercial, residential and agricultural property, from Ascot racecourse and the Oval cricket ground to at least three golf courses, a private airfield and the Savoy Chapel at Westminster, the sovereign’s private church. .

The Crown also owns one of England’s most famous monuments, Stonehenge, which was “gifted to the nation” in 1918 by Cecil Chubb, a local man who bought it in 1915 for £6,600 (equivalent to $590,000 today).

As head of state in 15 Commonwealth territories – in addition to 13 British territories and three Crown possessions – Charles has access to at least 49 residences for state visits around the world, the homes of his representatives in each country.

Whether you’re traveling to Canada (Ottawa’s Rideau Hall), the Caribbean (Jamaica’s King’s House) or the Pacific (Sydney’s Admiralty House), the new sovereign has a place to rest.

Closer to home, properties owned by the British Monarchy, Royal Trusts or the King himself are in three of the UK’s four countries, as well as two cottages in Transylvania.

There was more: between 1998 and 1999, the Crown Estate ceded three castles, two palaces and a fort to the Scottish Government, including the thousand-year-old Edinburgh Castle.

But only 14 apartments serve as official residences for the king and the royal family.

Two other royal residences are owned by other members of the family – Charles’ sister Princess Anne owns Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, valued at $29 million, and the Duke of Gloucester, a cousin from another generation, has put Barnwell Manor up for sale. Northamptonshire for 5.4 million.

Another of Charles’ new residences, the royal palace at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland, is owned by the British government, which bought it in 1925 for £240,000 ($1.3 million today).

And ordinary citizens can access a slice of royal life, with the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster operating 56 holiday homes and cottages in England, Wales and the Isles of Scilly that can be rented, and Charles’ Charitable Trust two B&Bs – breakfast » from Transylvania.

All others, including the medieval treasures of the Tower of London and Caernarfon Castle, are tourist attractions run by various charities or foundations.

It is known that the current sovereign personally took care of the transformation of the property into a profitable portfolio worth billions of dollars.

While his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, delegated responsibility for the personal estates, Charles was active in the development of the domain known as the Duchy of Cornwall.

Over the past decade, he has assembled a large team of professional managers who have increased the value of his portfolio and earnings by 50%.

Sources: The New York Times, Forbes