Queen Elizabeth Owns All the Swans on River Thames Plus Some Other Weird Things
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is lauded for being incredibly down to Earth. As the longest-reigning monarch in British history, the queen has every reason to act stuck up. Instead, fans find her refreshingly normal and relatable.
Still, there’s no denying that Queen Elizabeth lives a life of extraordinary wealth and privilege that most people can only dream of. This includes owning some truly exquisite items. From a gigantic diamond to a river full of swans, here are some of the most amazing items Her Majesty technically owns.
Queen Elizabeth owns a lot of sea life
Some British citizens consider the monarchy outdated and the king or queen a mere figurehead. However, it’s still good to rule thanks to some unexpected perks, like traveling without a passport. They also get ownership of some incredible items, thedelite.com reported. Like a whole lot of sea life.
Thanks to a statute from 1324 from King Edward II’s reign, the monarch officially owns “whales and sturgeons taken in the sea or elsewhere within the realm” which is interpreted to mean dolphins as well. So technically, Queen Elizabeth retains ownership for all the dolphins and whales in England and Wales.
She has more than 150,000 pieces of art
The Royal Collection includes art pieces from true masters of the craft from Rembrandt to Raphael. The art is dispersed to various locations including royal residences and museums around the country.
Her collection, which will likely pass to Prince Charles when he assumes the throne, is considered one of the largest and most valuable in the world.
The queen owns most swans on the River Thames
Her Majesty doesn’t just retain rights to aquatic animals — she also owns all the swans on the River Thames. Not that these are household pets. Instead, the queen “retains the right to claim ownership of any unmarked mute swan swimming in open waters.”
She even participated in “Swan Upping” in 2009, a conservation technique used to monitor and ensure the health of swan populations.
Her Majesty has the world’s largest clear-cut diamond
Between all the tiaras, necklaces, rings, and other jewelry items, the queen has an incomparable collection of sparkling diamonds. However, the jewel of this extensive collection is the rarest one of all. The Great Star of Africa (Cullinan Diamond) is the world’s largest clear-cut diamond with a retail value of around $51 million.
The stone was divided and the largest part is mounted in the head of the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross. The second-largest is Cullinan II, which is in the Imperial State Crown.
She has an impressive stamp collection
The queen also inherited an incredible stamp collection from her father and considers it one of her most prized possessions. The collection is missing the world’s most valuable stamp, but even without it, the stamps are worth millions.
Like so many other valuables, Prince Charles is likely the person to inherit the queen’s many stamps after she dies.
Queen Elizabeth has 4 Guinness World records
Making it into the Guinness Book of World Records for just one achievement is commendable. But Her Majesty, forever the overachiever, has four accolades there. At 93, she’s the oldest reigning monarch in history. She’s also the longest-reigning monarch, the wealthiest queen, and has her face on more currency than any other monarch with 35 countries total represented.
Other weird stuff the queen owns
There are plenty more examples of items Queen Elizabeth owns that no one would guess. She’s the owner of “territorial seabed out to 12 nautical miles and around half of the foreshore around England, Wales and Northern Ireland,” an offshore wind farm, a silver baptismal font, a mulberry grove, hundreds of Launer handbags, a cave of bats, a gold record, an ATM machine, a sloth, and two black jaguars.
As they say, it’s good to be the queen!
