<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



Presidents, kings, princes and prime ministers traveled to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral on Monday, while hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the streets of London to mourn the monarch and billions were expected to tune into the events from around the world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



The elaborate ceremony marked the United Kingdom’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/09/19/queen-elizabeth-state-funeral" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first</a>&nbsp;state funeral in over 50 years since Winston Churchill’s funeral in 1965.



About 2,000 people&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/world-leaders-are-attending-queen-elizabeth-iis-funeral-rcna48028" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">attended</a>&nbsp;the funeral ceremony at Westminster Abbey, of which an estimated 100 were presidents and heads of government, including President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.



Her funeral could become one of the most watched television events in history, with as many as&nbsp;<a href="https://deadline.com/2022/09/queen-elizabeth-funeral-livestream-tv-schedule-united-states-uk-how-to-watch-1235120389/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">four billion peopl</a>e expected to tune in from afar.



Thousands of military personnel were involved in the day, including 4,000 taking part in the funeral procession, 3,000 stationed in London and 1,000 in Windsor, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62941422" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BBC</a>.



The Queen was significantly involved in planning Monday’s events and wanted to ensure the services weren’t boring or too long, experts&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/18/queen-elizabeth-funeral-order-of-service/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;Washington Post.



The longest-reigning British monarch’s gravestone will bear only a simple inscription: “ELIZABETH II 1926-2022,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-60617519" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the BBC.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="699" data-id="56291" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243370571.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-56291" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243370571.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243370571-300x205.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243370571-768x524.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>President of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso signs a book of condolence at Church House following the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by David Parry &#8211; WPA Pool / Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="682" data-id="56296" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243377461.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-56296" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243377461.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243377461-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243377461-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>he coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is seen leaving Westminster Abbey on the day of her funeral. (Photo by James Forde for The Washington Post via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" data-id="56298" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243371106.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-56298" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243371106.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243371106-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243371106-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>: Queen Elizabeth II is laid to rest at in Windsor Castle after a historic state funeral service in Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom on September 19, 2022. The queenâs coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault at St. Georgeâs Chapel following a committal service which ended with a piperâs lament and the national anthem. (Photo by Zuhal Demirci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
</figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h2>



One million. That’s how many people were expected to travel to central London for the Queen’s funeral, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/18/tfl-expects-up-to-1m-mourners-in-palace-area-of-london-for-queens-funeral#:~:text=About%201%20million%20people%20are,for%20the%20capital's%20transport%20network." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Guardian</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h2>



While the funeral was attended by an estimated 500 foreign dignitaries, the service also included people who were previously honored for their public service this year at the queen’s birthday celebration, including Natalie Queiroz, an activist who survived a stabbing by her partner when she was pregnant as well as Pranav Bhanot, a lawyer who offered free aid to those struggling during the pandemic and delivered free meals, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/19/world/europe/queen-funeral-public-service-guests.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Post</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Members of the royal family and foreign dignitaries&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/09/19/queen-elizabeth-iis-state-funeral-biden-royals-and-world-leaders-arrive-at-westminster-abbey/?sh=5c6328b85766">came</a>&nbsp;to Westminster Abbey for the funeral service Monday morning while thousands gathered in the streets along the 25-mile procession route from central London to Windsor to see the Queen’s coffin carried by hearse to her final resting spot in St. George’s Chapel. The service came after mourners waited hours in a miles-long queue to see the Queen’s coffin and pay their finial respects.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



The funeral marked the biggest security event for Britain since World War II as millions of people were expected to flock to the streets for the event, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/16/funeral-security-queen-elizabeth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Post</a>. Snipers were positioned on roofs, surveillance drones flew in the sky and thousands of police officers and private security guards were on duty, the&nbsp;Post&nbsp;reported.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" data-id="56297" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243377620.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-56297" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243377620.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243377620-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243377620-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Horses and military get in formation for the funeral procession on Horse Guard Road. The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II was held in London on Monday, September 19, 2022. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="714" data-id="56293" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1425347450.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-56293" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1425347450.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1425347450-300x209.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1425347450-768x536.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption> Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Camilla, Queen Consort during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="756" data-id="56290" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243327609.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-56290" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243327609.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243327609-300x221.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243327609-768x567.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption> South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signs a book of condolence at Lancaster House. England. Foreign dignitaries, heads of state and other VIPs have visited Westminster Hall to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state prior to her funeral on Monday. They have also been invited to sign the book of condolence opened at Lancaster House. The 96-year-old monarch died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Jonathan Hordle &#8211; WPA Pool/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="732" data-id="56289" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243340151.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-56289" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243340151.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243340151-300x214.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243340151-768x549.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption> King of Lesotho, Letsie III pays his respects to Britain&#8217;s Queen Elizabeth, following her death, during her lying-in-state at Westminster Hall on September 18, 2022 in London, England. Members of the public are able to pay respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for 23 hours a day from 17:00 on September 18, 2022 until 06:30 on September 19, 2022. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Sarah Meyssonnier-WPA Pool/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="682" data-id="56295" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243377598.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-56295" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243377598.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243377598-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1243377598-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>King Charles III can be seen leaving Westminster Abbey on the day of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. (Photo by James Forde for The Washington Post via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/09/19/queen-elizabeth-iis-state-funeral-biden-royals-and-world-leaders-arrive-at-westminster-abbey/?sh=5c6328b85766">Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral: Biden, Royals And World Leaders Attend Historic Service At Westminster Abbey</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://bbc.com/news/uk-60617519" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Your complete guide to the Queen&#8217;s funeral</a>&nbsp;(BBC)



<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/16/funeral-security-queen-elizabeth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral: U.K.’s biggest security detail post-WWII</a>&nbsp;(Washington Post)



By Madeline Halpert, Forbes Staff

The Committal Service For Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II’s Funeral In Pictures—And Some Facts That Might Surprise You About The Momentous Day

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



When Queen Elizabeth II <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/09/08/queen-elizabeth-uks-longest-reigning-monarch-dead-at-96/">died</a> Thursday afternoon, the crown was immediately <a href="https://www.royal.uk/succession" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">passed on</a> to her eldest son and heir, now King Charles III, as part of the United Kingdom’s constitutional monarchy system.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



Charles is now king, Buckingham Palace said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1567928275913121792?s=20&amp;t=WPV5Nill7lGisNbLVnWkvQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>&nbsp;announcing Elizabeth’s death, though a coronation—traditionally held at Westminster Abbey—will be planned later to officially crown the new king (He took the regnal title of&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1567938864760717312?s=20&amp;t=PXhkj7GrTPIpjblwwHD03Q" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">King Charles III</a>, British Prime Minister Liz Truss said Thursday).



First in line to the throne is now Charles’ eldest son <a href="https://www.royal.uk/the-duke-of-cambridge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Prince William</a>, who regularly makes public appearances on behalf of the crown along with his wife Kate.



Second in line is William’s 9-year-old son Prince George, who is an elementary school student beginning to take part in more engagements with his parents, having made his debut at the&nbsp;<a href="https://people.com/royals/prince-george-wore-suit-wimbledon-despite-heat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wimbledon</a>&nbsp;finals this year, a royal tradition (after George, next in the line of succession are his two young siblings, Princess Charlotte, age 7, and Prince Louis, age 4.)



Prince William’s 37-year-old younger brother&nbsp;<a href="https://www.royal.uk/The-Duke-of-Sussex" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Prince Harry</a>—Charles and Princess Diana’s second son—is now fifth in line after William’s children.



Next in line are Harry’s son and daughter with his American wife Meghan Markle, Archie and Lillibet Mountbatten-Windsor, who all reside in California after Harry and Meghan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2020/02/19/harry-and-meghan-will-no-longer-be-senior-royals-after-march-31st/">stepped down</a>&nbsp;as senior working royals in 2020.



After Charles’ children and grandchildren, the next in line for the throne is Elizabeth’s second son, Prince Andrew, who <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50496539" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stepped back from royal duties</a> in 2019 amid public outrage over his friendship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein (in February, he <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/02/15/prince-andrew-settles-sexual-assault-lawsuit-with-epstein-accuser-virginia-giuffre/">settled a sex abuse lawsuit</a>with one of Epstein’s accusers for an undisclosed sum).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NEWS PEG</h2>



Elizabeth died Thursday at Balmoral Castle, her privately-owned residence in Scotland, after Buckingham Palace announced earlier in the day that she had been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/09/08/queen-under-medical-supervision-as-doctors-are-concerned-for-her-health/?sh=52ce3550140e">placed under medical supervision</a>&nbsp;by her doctors out of concern for her health. Senior members of the royal family, including William, Andrew and Elizabeth’s third son Edward and his wife Sophie were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royals/breaking-william-drives-andrew-sophie-27943404" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photographed arriving in Scotland</a>&nbsp;to be with the queen. The news comes after 96-year-old Elizabeth&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/09/08/covid-sprained-back-mobility-issues-what-we-know-about-the-queens-health-in-recent-months/?sh=2432d0a5484f">suffered from health issues</a>&nbsp;over the past year.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



While the sovereign of the United Kingdom is the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.royal.uk/role-monarchy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">official head of state</a>, they no longer play a political or executive role in the British government. Instead, kings and queens undertake constitutional and representational duties year-round with support from their immediate family, according to Buckingham Palace. Charles has stepped up to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/07/queen-elizabeth-role-reduced-mobility-issues-prince-charles-more-responsibilities" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">take over</a>&nbsp;some of his mother’s royal duties over the past few years. Earlier this year, Elizabeth indicated she would like Charles’ second wife,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/02/05/queen-elizabeth-says-her-sincere-wish-is-for-camilla-to-be-queen/?sh=6e6d549e5dc1">Camilla</a>, to become queen consort rather than princess consort—a move widely seen as Elizabeth’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/02/05/queen-elizabeth-says-her-sincere-wish-is-for-camilla-to-be-queen/?sh=6e6d549e5dc1">endorsement</a>&nbsp;of the couple after their many&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/02/05/queen-elizabeth-says-her-sincere-wish-is-for-camilla-to-be-queen/?sh=6e6d549e5dc1">rocky years</a>&nbsp;in the public eye. Buckingham Palace confirmed that Camilla is now queen consort in the statement announcing Elizabeth’s death.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/09/08/queen-elizabeth-uks-longest-reigning-monarch-dead-at-96/?sh=ef813cf29f3f">Queen Elizabeth, U.K.’s Longest-Reigning Monarch, Dead At 96</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/02/05/queen-elizabeth-says-her-sincere-wish-is-for-camilla-to-be-queen/?sh=6e6d549e5dc1">Queen Elizabeth Says Her ‘Sincere Wish’ Is For Camilla To Be Queen</a>(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/09/08/operation-london-bridge-inside-plans-for-queen-elizabeths-death-and-funeral/?sh=5923ea5e713f">‘Operation London Bridge’: Inside Plans For Queen Elizabeth’s Death And Funeral</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/09/08/covid-sprained-back-mobility-issues-what-we-know-about-the-queens-health-in-recent-months/?sh=2432d0a5484f">Covid, Sprained Back, Mobility Issues: What We Know About The Queen’s Health In Recent Months</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/09/08/queen-under-medical-supervision-as-doctors-are-concerned-for-her-health/?sh=52ce3550140e">Queen Under Medical Supervision As Doctors Are ‘Concerned For Her Health’</a> (Forbes)



By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff

State Opening Of Parliament

Charles Is Now King After Queen Elizabeth’s Death— Here’s Who’s Next In Line Of British Succession

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday afternoon, Buckingham Palace announced, bringing the second Elizabethan Age to a close after the queen spent seven decades on the throne, the longest reign of any British monarch.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



Elizabeth died “peacefully” at Balmoral Castle, the queen’s privately owned property in Scotland, surrounded by her family, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1567928275913121792?s=20&amp;t=c2ScKGi83PzTIRBAE-EQ2A" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a statement</a>&nbsp;from Buckingham Palace.



The queen was <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/09/08/queen-under-medical-supervision-as-doctors-are-concerned-for-her-health/?sh=6cf8d188140e">placed under medical supervision</a> by her doctors earlier Thursday out of concern for her health, and all four of her children along with her grandchildren Prince William and Prince Harry (who were in Europe for several events) traveled to Balmoral to be with the queen, the palace said.



One of the queen’s&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1567123856816496640?s=20&amp;t=ibFJ4IpiFxrpbWzjy1Gl1A" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">last royal engagements</a>&nbsp;was a Tuesday meeting with new British Prime Minister Liz Truss (the meeting would have typically taken place at Buckingham Palace, but Truss instead visited her in Scotland so the queen would not have to travel).



Elizabeth was the longest-serving head of state in the world at the time of her death, as well as the oldest British monarch and the ruler with the longest reign in the country’s history.&nbsp;



She sat on the throne during 15 British prime ministers’ time in office, starting with Winston Churchill’s second term, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/11/biden-becomes-13th-us-president-to-meet-the-queen-friday--heres-how-his-predecessors-got-on-photos/">met 13 U.S. presidents</a>, each one since President Harry Truman with the exception of President Lyndon B. Johnson.



Elizabeth died just months after celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee culminated in August with a <a href="https://www.royal.uk/platinum-jubilee-central-weekend" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">four-day national holiday</a> and parades and other events across the Commonwealth, though the queen did not attend several planned appearances over her poor health.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. <a href="https://t.co/VfxpXro22W">pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W</a>&mdash; The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1567928275913121792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



When Elizabeth was born in 1926, she wasn’t expected to ever take the throne. Her father, King George VI, was the second son in his family and only became monarch after his brother King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 in order to marry divorced American Wallace Simpson, leaving 10-year-old Elizabeth as heir presumptive. A year after her father’s death in 1952, Elizabeth was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.royal.uk/50-facts-about-queens-coronation-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">crowned queen</a>&nbsp;at age 25 and spent nearly three-quarters of her life on the throne.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h2>



The U.K. underwent massive political and social upheaval during the queen’s 70-year reign, including the accelerated decolonization of the once-vast British Empire and technological advancements that thrust the country into the modern age. Despite the shifts, the queen maintained a high approval rating throughout her time in power. The advent of mass media and relaxed social customs made the queen more accessible than any of her royal predecessors. A staggering 31% of the British public have either&nbsp;<a href="https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2018/05/17/almost-third-country-has-seen-or-met-queen-real-li" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seen the queen</a>&nbsp;or met her in real life, according to a 2018 poll. Elizabeth gave an annual Christmas message to the Commonwealth each year of her reign except one, and five times addressed her subjects directly through special broadcasts amid national turmoil, like during the&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1246875266334539777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1246875266334539777%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2020%2F04%2F05%2Fuk%2Fqueen-elizabeth-ii-coronavirus-address-gbr-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the coronavirus pandemic’s onset</a>&nbsp;in 2020 and after the 1997 death of her daughter-in-law&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52173825" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Princess Diana</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h2>



$28 billion. That’s how much in assets the British crown holds,&nbsp;Forbesestimated last year. That includes land and holdings part of the Crown Estate ($19.5 billion), Buckingham Palace (est. $4.9 billion), the Duchy of Cornwall ($1.3 billion), the Duchy of Lancaster ($748 million), Kensington Palace (est. $630 million) and the Crown Estate Scotland ($592 million). Queen Elizabeth had another $500 million in personal assets, according to&nbsp;Forbes’ estimates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Elizabeth was born in 1926 in Mayfair, London, part of the British royal family on her father’s side and from an aristocratic Scottish family on her mother’s. At the time of her birth, Elizabeth’s paternal grandfather, King George V, was on the throne and she was third in the line of succession. The family nicknamed her “Lilibet,” which is what the queen initially called herself as a child when she couldn’t pronounce “Elizabeth.” Her only sibling, Princess Margaret, was born in 1930, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/g29609173/queen-elizabeth-princess-margaret-sisters-relationship-photos/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the two remained close</a>until Margaret’s death in 2002. Elizabeth married her third-cousin Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey in 1947, eight years after the two connected in 1939 when 13-year-old Elizabeth took a trip with her parents and sister to Britannia Royal Naval College, where Philip, then 18, was a cadet. The queen is survived by her four children Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Her second-youngest grandchild, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/06/06/heres-why-harry-and-meghan-named-their-daughter-lilibet/?sh=26876b654594">Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor</a>, was named for the queen. Philip&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/04/09/beloved-husband-a-look-at-prince-phillips-life-as-the-longest-serving-consort-to-the-monarch-following-his-death-aged-99/?sh=3111e17f6fcf">died in April</a>&nbsp;2021 just weeks shy of his 100th birthday after he and Elizabeth had been married for 73 years. Over the last year of her life, the queen experienced health problems. Elizabeth was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/10/21/queen-elizabeth-reportedly-hospitalized-overnight---but-is-in-good-spirits/?sh=1797967c61fd">hospitalized overnight</a>&nbsp;in October for “preliminary investigations” that the palace did not elaborate on, and she canceled most of her engagements over the next month after doctors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberleespeakman/2021/10/29/queen-elizabeth-advised-by-doctors-to-rest-two-more-weeks/?sh=6ce794f62cfb">encouraged her to rest</a>, and instead carry out “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/10/26/queen-elizabeth-pulls-out-of-cop26-in-glasgow-after-being-advised-to-rest/?sh=233a7cc87592">light duties</a>” from Windsor Palace. She was slated to return to public life in November for Remembrance Sunday services, one of the royal family’s most important appearances of the year, but was unable to attend after spraining her back, Buckingham Palace announced that day. She took part in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.royal.uk/court-circular?text=&amp;mrf=&amp;date%5Bmin%5D%5Bdate%5D=17%2F11%2F2020&amp;date%5Bmax%5D%5Bdate%5D=17%2F11%2F2021&amp;id=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in-person engagement</a>&nbsp;at Windsor Castle three days later. The queen&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonbissada/2022/02/20/queen-elizabeth-and-justin-bieber-both-tested-positive-for-covid-shes-roughly-340-times-at-greater-risk/?sh=4f7290b6365c">tested positive for Covid-19</a>&nbsp;in February and while the palace did not specify how she was infected, Elizabeth had reportedly recently met with her son, Prince Charles, just days before he announced he had been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2020/03/25/prince-charles-is-first-senior-royal-to-be-diagnosed-with-coronavirus/">reinfected</a>&nbsp;with the virus.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



Elizabeth’s son, Charles, will automatically become king after his mother’s death. In early February, the queen announced she wanted Charles’ wife&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/02/05/queen-elizabeth-says-her-sincere-wish-is-for-camilla-to-be-queen/?sh=59c826695dc1">Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall</a>, to be named queen consort upon her death. Charles may take the title of King Charles III or choose another from his full Christian name, Charles Philip Arthur George. British media reported in 2005 that Charles had considered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/dec/27/monarchy.michaelwhite" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">choosing a different name</a>&nbsp;for his regnal title, a claim Clarence House denied. The name Charles has a lot of historical royal baggage. King Charles I was executed in 1649 for treason during the English Civil War, and amid his son Charles II’s reign, the country was forced to contend with both the Great Plague of London and Great Fire of London. Charles Edward Stuart, an 18th-century Jacobite pretender to the throne, was called King Charles III by his supporters, though he failed to take power.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/09/08/queen-under-medical-supervision-as-doctors-are-concerned-for-her-health/?utm_campaign=forbes&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_term=Gordie&amp;sh=9f20ba140ef1">Queen Under Medical Supervision As Doctors Are ‘Concerned For Her Health’</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonbissada/2022/02/20/queen-elizabeth-and-justin-bieber-both-tested-positive-for-covid-shes-roughly-340-times-at-greater-risk/?sh=4f7290b6365c">Queen Elizabeth And Justin Bieber Both Tested Positive For Covid. Her Risk Is Roughly 340 Times Greater.</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/02/05/queen-elizabeth-says-her-sincere-wish-is-for-camilla-to-be-queen/?sh=59c826695dc1">Queen Elizabeth Says Her ‘Sincere Wish’ Is For Camilla To Be Queen</a>(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/arielshapiro/2021/03/10/inside-the-firm-how-the-royal-familys-28-billion-money-machine-really-works/#:~:text=%24630%20million">Inside &#8216;The Firm&#8217;: How The Royal Family&#8217;s $28 Billion Money Machine Really Works</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisakim/2022/02/05/in-photos-queen-elizabeth-ii-through-the-years/?sh=50a46c52108d">In Photos: Queen Elizabeth II Through The Years</a> (Forbes)



By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff

Max Mumby – Archive

Queen Elizabeth, U.K.’s Longest-Reigning Monarch, Dead At 96

The Queen And Duke Of Cambridge Visit Dstl Porton Down

Queen Elizabeth Reportedly Hospitalized Overnight — But Is In ‘Good Spirits’

TOPLINE The British royal family gathered Saturday for the funeral service of Prince Philip inside St. George&#8217;s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle, the first time they have appeared together in public in more than a year.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h4>



The funeral of Prince Philip, who died last week at age 99, was closed to the public and limited to just 30 people due to coronavirus-related restrictions.&nbsp;



Queen Elizabeth II, who was married to the Duke of Edinburgh for more than 73 years, sat alone during the service, donning a black face mask.



Prince Harry returned home for the services, making his <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2021/04/10/prince-harry-to-attend-prince-phillips-funeral-but-meghan-will-not/?sh=260042cd2fe8">first trip</a> back to Windsor Castle since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped away from the royal family in early 2020.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312976618-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50844" width="766" height="511" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312976618-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312976618-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312976618-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312976618-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312976618-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 766px) 100vw, 766px" /><figcaption>LONDON, ENGLAND &#8211; APRIL 17: An image from the funeral of HRH Prince Philip is displayed on the large screen at Piccadilly Circus on April 17, 2021 in London, United Kingdom. The Duke of Edinburgh travelled extensively during his Royal Naval service. As Prince Consort to HM Queen Elizabeth II he visited 144 countries, he was fluent in French and German. The youth scheme he set up in 1956, The Duke of Edinburgh&#8217;s Award, is now held in 143 different countries. The Duke died, age 99, at Windsor Castle on April 9, 2021, and his funeral is held today, also at Windsor. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312967287-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50843" width="762" height="508" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312967287-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312967287-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312967287-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312967287-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312967287-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 762px) 100vw, 762px" /><figcaption>WINDSOR, ENGLAND &#8211; APRIL 17: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh&#8217;s Royal Navy cap sits on his coffin, which covered with His Royal Highness’s Personal Standard during the Ceremonial Procession during the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021 in Windsor, England. Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was born 10 June 1921, in Greece. He served in the British Royal Navy and fought in WWII. He married the then Princess Elizabeth on 20 November 1947 and was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich by King VI. He served as Prince Consort to Queen Elizabeth II until his death on April 9 2021, months short of his 100th birthday. His funeral takes place today at Windsor Castle with only 30 guests invited due to Coronavirus pandemic restrictions. (Photo by Leon Neal/WPA Pool/Getty Images )</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312964630-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50842" width="732" height="488" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312964630-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312964630-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312964630-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312964630-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1312964630-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" /><figcaption>WINDSOR, ENGLAND &#8211; APRIL 17: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales walks behind The Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin, covered with His Royal Highness’s Personal Standard, during the Ceremonial Procession during the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021 in Windsor, England. Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was born 10 June 1921, in Greece. He served in the British Royal Navy and fought in WWII. He married the then Princess Elizabeth on 20 November 1947 and was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich by King VI. He served as Prince Consort to Queen Elizabeth II until his death on April 9 2021, months short of his 100th birthday. His funeral takes place today at Windsor Castle with only 30 guests invited due to Coronavirus pandemic restrictions. (Photo by Hannah McKay/WPA Pool/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232364208-1024x699.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50839" width="783" height="534" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232364208-1024x699.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232364208-300x205.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232364208-768x524.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232364208-1536x1049.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232364208.jpg 1828w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 783px) 100vw, 783px" /><figcaption>TOPSHOT &#8211; The coffin of Britain&#8217;s Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is laid onto a modified Land Rover Defender in the quadrangle ahead of the ceremonial funeral procession to St George&#8217;s Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London, on April 17, 2021. &#8211; Philip, who was married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years, died on April 9 aged 99 just weeks after a month-long stay in hospital for treatment to a heart condition and an infection. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232362539-1024x640.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50838" width="763" height="477" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232362539-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232362539-300x188.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232362539-768x480.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232362539-1536x961.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232362539-2048x1281.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 763px) 100vw, 763px" /><figcaption>TOPSHOT &#8211; Britain&#8217;s Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, arrives to attend the funeral ceremony of Britain&#8217;s Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at St George&#8217;s Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London, on April 17, 2021. &#8211; Philip, who was married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years, died on April 9 aged 99 just weeks after a month-long stay in hospital for treatment to a heart condition and an infection. (Photo by CHRIS JACKSON / POOL / AFP) (Photo by CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232357791-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50833" width="736" height="491" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232357791-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232357791-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232357791-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232357791-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232357791-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 736px) 100vw, 736px" /><figcaption>Members of the armed forces take their positions during the funeral service of Britain&#8217;s Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London, on April 17, 2021. &#8211; Philip, who was married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years, died on April 9 aged 99 just weeks after a month-long stay in hospital for treatment to a heart condition and an infection. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232358655-1024x699.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50834" width="762" height="520" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232358655-1024x699.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232358655-300x205.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232358655-768x524.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232358655-1536x1049.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232358655-2048x1398.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 762px) 100vw, 762px" /><figcaption>WINDSOR, ENGLAND &#8211; APRIL 17: Queen Elizabeth II takes her seat during the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at St George&#8217;s Chapel at Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021 in Windsor, England. Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was born 10 June 1921, in Greece. He served in the British Royal Navy and fought in WWII. He married the then Princess Elizabeth on 20 November 1947 and was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich by King VI. He served as Prince Consort to Queen Elizabeth II until his death on April 9 2021, months short of his 100th birthday. His funeral takes place today at Windsor Castle with only 30 guests invited due to Coronavirus pandemic restrictions. (Photo by Jonathan Brady &#8211; WPA Pool/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232358729-1-1024x705.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50845" width="738" height="508" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232358729-1-1024x705.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232358729-1-300x207.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232358729-1-768x529.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232358729-1-1536x1058.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1232358729-1-2048x1411.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 738px) 100vw, 738px" /><figcaption>WINDSOR, ENGLAND &#8211; APRIL 17: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry arrive for the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at St George&#8217;s Chapel at Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021 in Windsor, England. Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was born 10 June 1921, in Greece. He served in the British Royal Navy and fought in WWII. He married the then Princess Elizabeth on 20 November 1947 and was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich by King VI. He served as Prince Consort to Queen Elizabeth II until his death on April 9 2021, months short of his 100th birthday. His funeral takes place today at Windsor Castle with only 30 guests invited due to Coronavirus pandemic restrictions. (Photo by Victoria Jones &#8211; WPA Pool/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1303311639-1-882x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50840" width="725" height="842" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1303311639-1-882x1024.jpg 882w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1303311639-1-258x300.jpg 258w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1303311639-1-768x892.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1303311639-1-1323x1536.jpg 1323w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1303311639-1-1764x2048.jpg 1764w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 725px) 100vw, 725px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage )</figcaption></figure></div>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT:</h4>



Prince Harry&#8217;s wife, Meghan Markle, did not attend the services. Markle, who is pregnant with the couple&#8217;s second child, was advised by her doctor to remain in California. She&nbsp;<a href="https://nypost.com/2021/04/17/meghan-markle-watched-funeral-on-tv-sent-handwritten-card/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a>&nbsp;sent a handwritten note and a wreath to be laid for Prince Phillip inside St George’s Chapel Saturday.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE:&nbsp;</h4>



&#8220;We have been inspired by his unwavering loyalty to our queen, by his service to the nation and the Commonwealth, by his courage, fortitude and faith,&#8221; Rev. David Conner, Dean of Windsor,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/04/17/world/prince-philip-funeral" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;during Saturday&#8217;s funeral service. &#8220;Our lives have been enriched through the challenges that he has set us, the encouragement that he has given us, his kindness, humor and humanity.&#8221;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER:</h4>



100. Philip was mere weeks away from celebrating his 100th birthday when he died peacefully at home last Friday.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING:</h4>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2021/04/10/prince-harry-to-attend-prince-phillips-funeral-but-meghan-will-not/?sh=260042cd2fe8">Prince Harry To Attend Prince Philip’s Funeral, But Meghan Will Not</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/04/09/uks-prince-philip-the-duke-of-edinburgh-dies-aged-99/?sh=438155db5e2e">‘Extraordinary Life And Work’: Tributes Pour In As U.K.’s Prince Philip Dies Aged 99</a> (Forbes)



By <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/">Tommy Beer</a>, Forbes Staff

BRITAIN-ROYALS-PHILIP-FUNERAL

Prince Philip’s Funeral, In Photos

TOPLINE Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II and the longest-serving consort of a monarch in the British royal family, died on Friday weeks before his 100th birthday, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h4>



“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle,” Buckingham Palace&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/PAImages/status/1380477266963091460?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;in a statement Friday.



The Duke of Edinburgh’s death comes after he spent weeks at London hospitals as “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/palashghosh/2021/02/17/prince-philip-taken-to-hospital-as-precaution/?sh=4d6c515b2317">a precautionary measure</a>” for a pre-existing heart condition and underwent a heart procedure in March, before later&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/03/16/prince-philip-leaves-hospital-two-weeks-after-successful-heart-surgery/">being released</a>.



Prince Phillip’s health had been the subject of public speculation for years; in January 2019, he was involved in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/guymartin/2019/01/18/prince-philip-97-survives-car-wreck-caused-by-him-near-sandringham/#bfe2255336d6">a car acciden</a>t near Sandringham after which he voluntarily gave up his driving license.&nbsp;



In December of that year, he was hospitalized for several days in another “precautionary measure” to treat an unspecified pre-existing condition, Buckingham Palace said in a statement at the time, but was&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/News/prince-philip-98-released-hospital-christmas-eve/story?id=67909771" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">released on Christmas Eve</a>.



Prince Philip retired from official royal duties in 2017, after taking part in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40798469" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">22,220</a>&nbsp;public engagements since Queen Elizabeth took the throne in 1952.



His last public appearance before his death was in July, when he took part in a ceremony at Windsor Castle to transfer <a href="https://apnews.com/article/a6182eb44c62a91927855d50e70c497f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a symbolic military role</a> to Camilla, his son Prince Charles’ wife.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. <a href="https://t.co/XOIDQqlFPn">pic.twitter.com/XOIDQqlFPn</a>&mdash; The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1380475865323212800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



A great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria, Prince Phillip was born June 10, 1921 in Corfu, Greece, the nephew of King Constantine I of Greece and in the line of succession to the thrones of both Greece and Denmark. After the Greco-Turkish War, the Greek king was forced to abdicate and the royal family fled Greece by boat, with 18-month-old Prince Phillip reportedly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/0/10-things-might-not-know-prince-philip/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">smuggled aboard in an orange crate</a>. From then, he was shuffled around Europe and lived with various royal family members. After serving in the British forces in World War II, Prince Phillip married the future Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey in 1947. They had four children together; Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, along with eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Known for his unfussy approach and sometimes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39806145" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">offensive one-liners</a>, Prince Phillip was a patron of more than 700 charitable organizations, many involving conservation, engineering and the outdoors.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



The death of the Duke of Edinburgh is the latest hurdle in what has been a trying few years for the British Royal Family. The year 2019 saw Prince Andrew <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2019/11/20/prince-andrew-steps-back-from-royal-duties-amid-epstein-fallout/#5d8d7142f1e6">bow out of</a> royal duties in November in the wake of public outcry after he defended his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein in what was called a “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2019/11/18/prince-andrew-defends-car-crash-epstein-interview/#b7e0fe615f70">car crash</a>” television interview with the BBC. In March 2020, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, carried out their final spree of engagements as senior members of the royal family before <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2020/03/09/meghan-and-harry-mark-final-duty-with-the-queen-before-they-bow-out-as-senior-royals/#6261bb977ea4">stepping away</a> to live a more independent life in the U.S., where Meghan is from. In March, during Prince Phillip’s final hospitalization, Harry and Meghan did a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in which they alleged Buckingham Palace treated Meghan unfairly and refused to allow her to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/03/07/meghan-struggled-with-suicidal-thoughts-after-marrying-harry-she-tells-oprah/?sh=70ff4e43a713">seek treatment</a> for her mental health. Harry told Winfrey relatives of his <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/03/07/palace-had-concerns-about-how-dark-harry-and-meghans-son-would-be-meghan-says/?sh=2bcd70b46e20">expressed concerns</a> about the skin tone of his son, Archie, while Meghan was pregnant with him. Winfrey later shared Harry said <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/03/08/racism-was-a-large-part-of-the-reason-why-the-sussexes-left-the-uk-harry-tells-oprah-in-new-clip/?sh=4e43f6a566b7">neither of his grandparents</a>, Queen Elizabeth II or Prince Phillip, made the comments.



By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff

The Transfer Of The Colonel-In-Chief Of The Rifles

‘Beloved Husband’: A Look At Prince Philip’s Life As The Longest-Serving Consort To The Monarch, Following His Death Aged 99

Now that they’ve left their life as full-time working Royals, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are tapping into their celebrity status to make money and bolster what they currently have.



By Dawn Chmielewski, Forbes Staff



Now that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have completed their Hollywood transition, the couple is entering an uncharted new chapter in life now that they won’t be returning as full-time working members of the British royal family. No diplomatic formalities. No government security detail. And no royal patronage.



Up until last year, Harry’s father, the Prince of Wales, covered the majority of the expenses associated with their royal duties, including staff and travel, through the Duchy of Cornwall, which&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;estimates amounted to about $800,000 a year. The Crown paid for more than $3 million for renovations underway at Frogmore Cottage before it became their family home in the U.K. They voluntarily repaid the sum in September with a contribution to the Sovereign Grant.&nbsp;



That’s left them with the<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7EaGS_Jpb9/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;progressive new life</a>&nbsp;they want but also the kind financial uncertainty—a former royal’s version of it, at least—of recent college graduates who’ve just left home to embark on the independence of adulthood. His older brother and future king, Prince William, covers expenses with help from the Duchy of Cornwall, which in the last fiscal year spent about $8 million to support the public, charitable and personal activities of Prince Charles and his immediate family.



Prince Harry spoke about his withdrawal from official Royal duties with fellow Brit James Corden on&nbsp;The Late Late Show&nbsp;yesterday—a week after Buckingham Palace released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.royal.uk/buckingham-palace-statement-duke-and-duchess-sussex" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>—but he took issue with Corden’s depiction of him “walking away” from the family. “It was never walking away; it was stepping back rather than stepping down,” said the Duke, saying he decided to leave to escape a relentless press. “We all know what the British press can be like and it was destroying my mental health. This is toxic. So I did what any husband, what any father, would do. I need to get my family out of here.”



His late mother, Princess Diana, who famously died in a car crash after being chased by paparazzi, made the move possible. With financial support from the Crown abruptly shut off, the relocated royals have relied largely on the estimated $10 million inheritance Harry received from his late mother’s estate. Contrary to published reports, a representative confirms he was not a beneficiary of any of the nearly $100 million (£70 million) fortune left by his great-grandmother, the Queen Mother. Meghan Markle contributed an estimated $2 million in after-tax earnings from her work in films and television shows, most notably the long-running legal drama&nbsp;Suits.&nbsp;



They bought a $14.7 million estate in Montecito, the seaside Santa Barbara, California, enclave that’s home to such Hollywood celebrities as Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi, in August 2020. They put down $5 million and now have a nearly $10 million mortgage. The Duke and Duchess also repaid the Sovereign Grant for the $3 million spent to remodel Frogmore, which remains their UK family home. That leaves Prince Harry and Meghan with a surprisingly modest nest egg of roughly $5 million—at least for now. Their estimated net worth, including the equity from their Montecito home, is roughly $10 million.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddawkins/2020/09/25/the-queen-and-the-royal-family-face-44-million-shortfall-but-palace-claim-no-intention-of-asking-public-for-more-money/?sh=475a8e6c4bde">The Queen</a>&nbsp;has a net worth of $500 million, according to the last tally by&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;in 2019, while the combined value of the British Monarch’s holdings with the Crown Estate, the Duchy of Lancaster (a real estate trust), were worth an estimated $25&nbsp;billion.



The Prince and his American wife want to dedicate their life to helping others and improving the world. “My life is always going to be about public service, and Meghan signed up to that,” Prince Harry told Corden. But they also have to pay the bills, and thanks to their global celebrity and cachet, Hollywood is only happy to capitalize, helping to cushion the financial blow.



Earlier in the week, they touted their partnership with Spotify during a livestreamed event that also featured Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Bruce Springsteen, Barack Obama and Ava DuVernay. The Duke and Duchess plan to produce podcasts and shows that “elevate voices that maybe aren’t being heard” exclusively for the streaming service’s 320 million monthly users around the world.



Spotify’s three-year podcasting deal with Prince Harry and Meghan could be worth as much as $15 million to $18 million, according to industry sources. It’s unknown whether the streaming music service has begun writing checks, however, since the first podcast from Archewell Audio is likely to take at least a year to develop. But when the checks arrive, it would add around $3.5 million a year to their coffers, after taxes.



The couple had begun to tentatively trod Hollywood’s red carpet long before their move to California. Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey announced in April 2019 that they would executive produce a mental health series for Apple TV+. The series, which was caught up in the pandemic’s production delays, is an extension of the Duke’s long-standing work in this area, in which he has candidly shared details of his own experience of loss. Deal terms could not be determined.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Speaking engagements are another potential avenue for them.&nbsp;Prince Harry spoke at a private JPMorgan summit in Miami in February 2020, which reportedly fetched $1 million. Last June, they retained the New York-based Harry Walker Agency to drum up speaking engagements. It’s the same agency that represents the Obamas, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Stacey Abrams.



Perhaps the biggest potential moneymaker for them: a lucrative five-year, $100 million contract with Netflix, signed in September 2020, to produce documentaries, docuseries, feature films, scripted shows and children’s programming. It’s unclear whether Prince Harry and Meghan received an advance on the deal, which is likely to contribute handsomely to their net worth down the road. But the streaming service recognizes its subscribers’ fascination with the British royal family. Netflix renewed&nbsp;The Crown,&nbsp;a hit drama about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II,&nbsp;for a sixth and final season last fall.&nbsp;



The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also will sit for an extended interview with Oprah Winfrey that airs at 8 p.m. EST Sunday, March 7, on CBS, where Meghan is expected to discuss such topics as “stepping into life as a royal,” a topic bound to stir unease behind the gates of Buckingham Palace, and Prince Harry will later join the two to discuss the move to the United States and his hopes for their expanding family.&nbsp;

Commonwealth Day 2020

How Much Are Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Worth? Surprisingly, Not That Much

<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="590" height="393" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/SG-Afganistan.2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-45096" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/SG-Afganistan.2.jpg 590w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/SG-Afganistan.2-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px" /><figcaption>UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on President Ashraf Ghani during a visit to Afghanistan’s capital Kabul to show solidarity with the Afghan people. Photo UNAMA / Fardin Waezi/June 2017.</figcaption></figure></div>



The world commemorated the 75th Anniversary to mark the end of the 2nd World War also called VE Day on May 08, 2020. 



With her nation, and much of the world still in lockdown, due to COVID 19, England’s Queen marked 75 years since the allied victory in Europe with a poignant televised address. From Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth said, “ the wartime generation knew that the best way to honour those who did not come back from the war, was to ensure that it didn’t happen again”.



But the world is still at war. Proxy wars or localised conflicts are wrecking havoc on human development and humanity in virtually every corner of the world. By the end of 2018, <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/news/stories/2019/6/5d08b6614/global-forced-displacement-tops-70-million.html">wars, violence and persecution have driven record numbers of over 70 million people</a> from their homes worldwide, according to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. This is the largest ever displacement of humanity, post 2nd World War.



Never has the appeal by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres been more pertinent: “<a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2017/09/repair-world-in-pieces-and-create-world-at-peace-un-chief-guterres-urges-global-leaders/">The world is in pieces; we need world peace</a>.”&nbsp;



The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/world/asia/us-taliban-deal.html">United States signed a historic deal with Afghanistan</a> that outlines a timetable and exit plan for American troops, setting the stage for the potential end to nearly 18 years of war in Afghanistan.  The UN Secretary General <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/02/1058371">welcomed the US-Taliban peace agreement</a> on February 29, 2020.  The United States also won the<a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1059161"> unanimous backing of the UN Security Council</a> to this ambitious peace deal on March 10, 2020.



The implementation of the peace agreement will need leadership, courage and resolve and there will be spoilers who will attempt to upend the peace process. The road to peace will be characterized by violence, set-backs and numerous false starts, but it will need diplomacy, determination and drive to keep the peace process on track. 



Hubris must not prolong the agony of this appalling war. 



The war has cost over $2 trillion and killed more than&nbsp;<a href="https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2018/Human%20Costs%2C%20Nov%208%202018%20CoW.pdf">2,400 American soldiers and&nbsp;</a><a href="https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2018/Human%20Costs,%20Nov%208%202018%20CoW.pdf">38,000</a><a href="https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2018/Human%20Costs%2C%20Nov%208%202018%20CoW.pdf">&nbsp;Afghan civilians</a>. Casualties among Afghan security forces are estimated to have reached around 40,000 between 2007 and 2017.



Wars are appalling. As a combat veteran,&nbsp;<a href="https://news.trust.org/item/20161101105441-eli9d/">I have witnessed first-hand how armed conflicts</a>&nbsp;have transformed some of our finest soldiers into shells of the people I once knew. Combat is savage, it is brutal, it is reckless, it diminishes us as human beings and jeopardizes our humanity.



General William Sherman once said, “It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, and more desolation. War is hell.”



There are no winners in Afghanistan, but let’s consider the consequences on all the women and men who fought in it.



Today, research backs up what soldiers have described for decades, and what was once called shell shock or combat fatigue. We have terms like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), chronic depression, cognitive impairment, and traumatic brain injury to help explain the symptoms suffered by active and returning soldiers.  



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="700" height="467" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/US-Army-soldiers-security-duty-province-Paktika-2010.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-45062" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/US-Army-soldiers-security-duty-province-Paktika-2010.jpg 700w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/US-Army-soldiers-security-duty-province-Paktika-2010-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/US-Army-soldiers-security-duty-province-Paktika-2010-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption>U.S. Army soldiers on security duty in Paktīkā province, Afghanistan, 2010. Sgt. Derec Pierson/U.S. Department of Defense</figcaption></figure></div>



For a long time, many of the grim statistics about war centred on fatalities and did not include the conflicts’ deep mental wounds. Today we have a better understanding of the kind of moral and psychological toll wars take on soldiers, their families, and communities.



The United States is a leader in the understanding of psychological and emotional damage to soldiers and has taken some steps to address their mental health. The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have left between&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/common/common_veterans.asp">11% and 20%</a>&nbsp;of military personnel suffering from PTSD. As many as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dav.org/veterans/resources/traumatic-brain-injury-tbi/">375,000 US veterans</a>&nbsp;have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries between 2000 and 2017, mostly caused by explosions.&nbsp;



But suicides in the&nbsp;US armed forces have continued to rise in recent years, reaching&nbsp;<a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/09/26/military-suicide-rates-hit-record-high-2018.html">record levels in 2018</a>&nbsp;when there were 25 deaths per 100,000 service members. Former defence secretary Leon Panetta once said that the “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/opinion/sunday/war-wounds.html">epidemic” of military suicide</a>&nbsp;was “one of the most frustrating problems” he had faced.



<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/09/world/middleeast/afghanistan-war-cost.html">More than $350 billion has already gone to medical and disability care for veterans</a>&nbsp;of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Experts say that more than half of that spending belongs to the Afghanistan effort.



Homelessness among veterans is pervasive, and soldiers still struggle to access benefits and healthcare if they suffer from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/opinion/sunday/war-wounds.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=2&amp;">mental health</a>&nbsp;issues rather than from physical wounds. At any given time in the US, more than 40,000 veterans are homeless, constituting around&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/Homelessness_in_America._Focus_on_Veterans.pdf">9% of all homeless adults</a>&nbsp;in the country.&nbsp;



In the United Kingdom, spurred by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/british-veteran-soldiers-afghanistan-suicides-deaths-a9367856.html">a dozen suicides</a>&nbsp;among Afghan war veterans in just two months, the government expedited new mental health programs to help deal with former military members’ PTSD and addiction.&nbsp;



What does this now mean for the Afghan security forces? They and their families do not have the same support structures.



All this ‘hell’, but to what end? Afghanistan remains one of the world’s largest sources of refugees and migrants. Since 2004 alone, more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.giz.de/en/ourservices/55909.html">1.8 million Afghans have become internally displaced.</a>&nbsp;Afghanistan’s&nbsp;human development and progress has been set back by decades.&nbsp;Women and children have suffered the most and countless are emotionally and psychologically scarred for life.



While we like to see soldiers as stoic and heroic, we must open our eyes to the fact that wars scar minds as well as bodies, often in ways medical science cannot yet comprehend.



Just like the world is desperately seeking a cure to end the coronavirus pandemic which has killed over 275,000 people so far and leaving a trail of human, economic and social misery, the world too must find a way to end wars, or else we may be defeated as a civilization.



Siddharth Chatterjee, is the United Nations resident coordinator to Kenya. He has served with the UN and the Red Cross Movement in various parts of the world affected by conflicts and humanitarian crisis. He is also a decorated Special Forces veteran and a Princeton University alumnus. Follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/sidchat1?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@sidchat1</a>



The views expressed in this article are the author&#8217;s own.​​​​​

VE DAY MARKS THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR-BUT THE WORLD IS STILL AT WAR

What kind of silver spoon was little&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ceciliarodriguez/2019/05/08/meghan-harry-and-baby-the-first-photos-the-name-and-their-new-record" target="_blank">Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor</a>born with in his mouth? Probably a gold one. After all, his great-grandmother lives like a queen.



Only Elizabeth II can call several palaces home, don Cartier tiaras, own rare paintings, collect Thoroughbreds, and match endless colorful hats with a rainbow of outfits without being a billionaire. Her Majesty, who has worn the crown since 1953, lives the life of the ultrarich but is nowhere close to being one of the wealthiest in the world—or even her United Kingdom. The Queen’s nine-figure net worth—estimated at $500 million—lands her way below the&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/" target="_blank">2,153 billionaires on&nbsp;Forbes’list</a>&nbsp;this year. And yet she enjoys a lifestyle any of them would surely envy.



 The 93-year-old directly owns some assets like Balmoral Castle in Scotland and Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, but many of her most valuable assets like Buckingham Palace are owned by a body called the Crown Estate.&nbsp; 



 If she were to possess the Crown Estate—which includes a myriad of properties in the U.K. and is owned by neither the government nor the royal family—as well as the Duchy of Lancaster (a private trust governed by the same ownership rules),&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;estimates that the Queen would be the richest person in the U.K. (and the third-wealthiest woman in the world) with a net worth of more than $25 billion. And even that number doesn’t take into account the value of the Royal Collection Trust, which, with its Fabergé eggsand Rembrandt paintings, could be worth in excess of a billion dollars. 



 And she does earn a living. The Queen derives an annual income from the properties held by the $18 billion Crown Estate and the Duchy of Lancaster, a real estate trust dating back to 1265, that paid her $27 million (pretax) in fiscal year 2018 for personal expenses. The Sovereign Grant, which equals 25% of the income from the Crown Estate, goes toward the Queen’s official expenses, which include payroll, travel, housekeeping, maintenance costs and even IT expenses. (<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/theroyalfamily" target="_blank">She is on Instagram</a>, after all.) And none of that includes any winnings she earns betting on her beloved racehorses. 



Naturally, Queen Elizabeth’s eldest son, Prince Charles, is not as wealthy as his mother—yet. The 70-year-old Prince of Wales derives his annual income from the Duchy of Cornwall, which manages a real estate trust that largely consists of 131,000 acres and more than<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://duchyofcornwall.org/assets/pdf/DuchyOfCornwallIAR2018.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;$450 million in commercial assets</a>&nbsp;within the U.K. The proceeds from Cornwall cover not only the annual expenses of Prince Charles but also of his two sons and their families: Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge and their three children; and Prince Harry, his wife, Meghan Markle, and baby Archie. Though considerably more modern and down-to-earth than their grandmother, the young Windsors live like, well, royalty. In 2018, the families of William and Harry had $6.1 million in personal expenses, although the royals&#8217; official financial statements do not detail what those expenses were.&nbsp;



Despite the endless fascination with the royals around the world, there is a faction in the U.K. who believe the family is a burden on taxpayers. That’s not necessarily the case, however, according to Richard Haigh, the managing director of Brand Finance, a U.K.-based valuation company. “Last year, we valued the boost to the U.K. economy from Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding in Windsor at almost $1.5 billion,” Haigh told&nbsp;Forbes. And in its latest report on the monarchy from 2017, Brand Finance estimated that the family is responsible for more than $700 million in annual tourism.



In other words—everyone is royally flush.



With additional reporting by&nbsp;Hayley C. Cuccinello,&nbsp;Ariel Shapiro&nbsp;and&nbsp;Kristin Tablang.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Royal Family by the Numbers</h3>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">REAL ESTATE</blockquote>



<figure><iframe src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fe.infogram.com%2F_%2FNuMbnpee37CcyT2gsWZf%3Fsrc%3Dembed&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Finfogram.com%2F1pe2xjqd0vegdnum9mp562393ksld0k2zl1&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Finfogram-thumbs-1024.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5d2824f5-3b2f-45b8-869d-b98153546ac7.jpg&amp;key=3ce26dc7e3454db5820ba084d28b4935&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=infogram"></iframe></figure>



$18.7 billion:&nbsp;The real estate owned in Great Britain by the Crown Estate and its Scottish counterpart. The Queen technically owns this portfolio of commercial and industrial properties, but she cannot sell any of it.



$4.7 billion:&nbsp;According to Lenka Duskova of the Czech real estate agency Luxent, the value of Buckingham Palace, the 775-room residence of the United Kingdom’s sovereigns since 1837, would be worth a little bit more than Richard Branson. (Not that the royal family is looking to move.)



$1.3 billion: The net assets of the Duchy of Cornwall, which spans 131,000 acres. Its portfolio&nbsp;include the Isles of Scilly, residential and commercial properties in London and Llwynywermod, the Welsh home of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall.



$740 million:&nbsp;The net assets of the Duchy of Lancaster, which includes some 46,000 acres of land in England and Wales acquired by the Duchy over seven centuries, London’s Savoy Chapel (built in 1512), as well as limestone and sandstone quarries and a gypsum mine.



$600 million:&nbsp;The value of Kensington Palace, the childhood home of Queen Victoria and the residence of young royals for more than three centuries, according to Luxent. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children live in Kensington Palace 1A, a 20-room, four-story “apartment.”



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">GIVING BACK</blockquote>



$428.2 million: The profit turned by the Crown Estate in 2018, which was deposited into Britain’s Treasury rather than the Queen’s many purses.



$145.6 million:&nbsp;The combined assets held by Prince Charles’ charities, which support economic, environmental and social causes in Britain and around the globe.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/79732254/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="Diana, Princess of Wales with her sons, Prince William and Harry"/><figcaption>High Notes: Princes William and Harry received millions from Princess Diana&#8217;s estate when they turned 25.TIM GRAHAM/GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



$46.7 million:&nbsp;The amount spent on charitable activities in 2018 by Prince Charles’ philanthropic organizations.



$31.5 million:&nbsp;The value of Princess Diana’s estate at the time of her death, according to her will. The bulk of that sum went to her sons, Princes William and Harry, each of whom inherited a share on his 25th birthday. The remainder was split between her 17 godchildren and her former butler Paul Burrell, who received£50,000 (about $81,000).



1,762: The number of offshore wind turbines that are part of the Crown Estate.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">LIFESTYLE</blockquote>



200 billion:&nbsp;The number of times the image of the Queen on U.K. postage stamps has been reproduced. The design has not changed since 1967 and is believed to be the most reproduced work of art in history.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/831924096/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="Poltimore Tiara"/><figcaption>High Tiara: The Poltimore Tiara from the collection of the late Princess Margaret was auctioned in 2006.DANNY LAWSON/PA IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



$17,627,021:&nbsp;Amount that the jewelry and Fabergé items from the collection of Princess Margaret brought in at Christie’s in 2006. The exquisite pieces included the Poltimore Tiara—made in 1870 by Garrard for Lady Poltimore, the wife of the second Baron Poltimore and Queen Victoria’s treasurer—which sold for $1.7 million.



$2,423,050:&nbsp;The amount an unused Mauritius “Post Office” twopence from 1847 (No. 13)—which mirrors the piece widely regarded as&nbsp;<a href="https://postalmuseum.si.edu/queen's/rarities-list1.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the most valuable stamp</a>&nbsp;in the Royal Philatelic Collection (No. 14)—sold for in 1993. The prized collection—which has never been appraised—also boasts one of two 1854 Bermuda “Perot” stamps still in existence, the other having last sold for $340,000 in 1996.



$2.2 million:&nbsp;Meghan Markle’s net worth based on her salary from&nbsp;Suits. The Duchess of Sussex starred as Rachel Zane on the legal drama for seven seasons and earned an estimated average of $57,500 per episode.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/960676594/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="Prince Harry Marries Ms. Meghan Markle - Windsor Castle"/><figcaption>Here Comes the Bride: Meghan Markle heads to her wedding in the queen&#8217;s 1955 Rolls-Royce Phantom IV.MAX MUMBY/INDIGO/GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



$1,039,758:&nbsp;The auction price of the 1955 Rolls-Royce Phantom IV belonging to Queen Elizabeth sold at Bonhams’ Goodwood Revival Sale in September 2018. The previous year, a bespoke 2001 Daimler Super V-8 commissioned by the Queen fetched $55,575—and in November 2016, Princess Diana’s beloved 1994 Audi Cabriolet sold for $59,500 at Silverstone Auctions’ NEC Classic Motor Show sale.



$583,000:&nbsp;The total earnings of Queen Elizabeth’s champion horses in the past year, according to the British Horseracing Authority. The Queen’s most valuable horse of all time, Estimate—an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred that won the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot in 2012 and the Ascot Gold Cup the following year—collected more than $487,000 in prize money before retiring to the Royal Stud at Sandringham in 2014.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/618251740/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="Princess Diana Dancing with John Travolta"/><figcaption>White House Fever: John Travolta twirls Princess Diana around the dance floor with Nancy and Ronald Reagan in the background.&nbsp;CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



$222,500:&nbsp;The amount a midnight-blue velvet Victor Edelstein evening gown Princess Diana wore to a 1985 state dinner at the White House hosted by President Reagan—where she famously danced with John Travolta—sold&nbsp;for at auction in 1997.



$25,277:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thomas-s.co.uk/uploaded/Policies/Fees_Charges_from_1_September_2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The cost of Prince George’s tuition</a>&nbsp;at Thomas’ Battersea for the 2019—2020 school year, inclusive of books and registration fees.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/106751835/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="The British Crown Jewels In 1969"/><figcaption>Gem Dandy: The British Crown Jewels include the Sceptre (which belonged to Louis XVI), The Cup, Bracelets, Globe, Tiara and Royal Crown.GAMMA-KEYSTONE VIA GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



23,578:&nbsp;The number of gemstones showcased in the Crown Jewels, which are housed in the Tower of London. The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross has been used at every coronation since Charles II’s in 1661 and boasts the Cullinan I diamond, the largest top-quality cut white diamond in the world, weighing 530.2 carats.



$7,500:&nbsp;How much a slice of cake from the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton sold for at Julien’s Auctions in December 2014—four months after a slice of the five-tier fruitcake from Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer’s wedding sold for $1,375. The year before, a piece of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s 9-foot-tall, 500-pound cake sold for a relatively low $896.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



$3,900:&nbsp;The final price of a felt-and-velvet doll from 1935 once belonging to Princess Elizabeth, which sold in December 2018. The year prior, a pair of Deans Rag Book Co. Mickey and Minnie Mouse toys—given to Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret by their nanny Clara Allah Knight—fetched $1,164.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/576747043/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="Princess Elizabeth And Corgi"/><figcaption>Dog Days: Princess Elizabeth with her pet corgi in 1944.&nbsp;LISA SHERIDAN/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



1,306:&nbsp;The number of corgis registered in the U.K. in 1944, when Princess Elizabeth received one for her 18th birthday. Corgi registration jumped 56% that year and would continue to increase until 1960. The Queen’s influence over the corgi market is so great that when her last pup died in 2018, the Kennel Club temporarily placed the short-legged breed on its “At Risk” list.



800:&nbsp;The number of royal warrant holders, which range from luxury brands such as Burberry to family-run saddle maker Abbey England. The royal warrants recognize those who supply goods or services to the royal family. Brand Finance estimates a royal warrant can contribute as much as 5% of a company’s revenue.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5cd46c1c5218470008b042ac/960x0.jpg?fit=scale" alt="The Duke &amp; Duchess Of Sussex Pose With Their Newborn Son"/><figcaption>Set for Life: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex introduce Archie to the world.&nbsp;DOMINIC LIPINSKI/WPA POOL/GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



7:&nbsp;The place in line Prince Harry’s newborn son, Archie, holds in the royal succession.



&#8211;Deniz Cam; Forbes Staff

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Baby Archie’s Great-Granny Is Royally Loaded: Inside Queen Elizabeth’s $500 Million Fortune

There can’t be many people who can say a rough day at work was worrying about a crazed gunman jumping from behind a bush and shooting you off your horse. That was how I felt on the trail of a crack-shot and would-be assassin who wanted to shoot, stone dead, the Head of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth.
That white-knuckle ride through the wild, dense bush of New Zealand’s West Coast, fording rivers and struggling up rocky hills, proved the genesis of a story that I bashed out on a rickety old typewriter. It  won me an award and made world headlines for weeks.
We were looking for a 22-year-old armed robber called Christopher John Lewis who was on the run after knocking over a bank and post office. He claimed to be a ninja warrior as well as a right-wing extremist and gun fanatic. In his first slip through police fingers he dived into a river to escape – apparently a ninja-style way of evading capture.
My editors on the Dominion Post, in the capital Wellington, despatched me to the West Coast to report on the hunt. The photographer and I asked around and tracked down the four-man police sniper squad to a hotel bar and persuaded them to let us go with them on the manhunt the next morning.
So I came to grips with a horse – that I had no idea how to ride – from dawn until dusk for a couple of days. Every half an hour, the police raised their telescopic sights, we dismounted and lay flat on the ground waiting for a bullet that, luckily, never came. I was 24 years old and living every minute as if it were my last.
In the end, Lewis got away by hanging onto the floor of a passing train, before jumping on the ferry to Wellington and getting another train to Auckland at the other end of the country. Police arrested him &#8211; believe it or not &#8211; when he gave a credit reference to buy a car. A woman vouched for him and then tipped off police and Lewis, strangely enough, for a man of violence, went like a lamb.
Back in the bush my journalist antenna was working overtime. We had been led to believe Lewis was a mere felon; yet the police sniper squad talked of him as if he were Rambo and the Terminator rolled into one. I spoke to each of the snipers in their off-guard moments in the bush to glean what I could – it&#8217;s surprising how people will tell you stories face-to-face that they won’t do over email.
It led me, with the help of the news desk, back to retired Detective Tom Lewis (no relation) who spat out the whole story from his new home in Australia. He had arrested Lewis, back in 1981, and drawn him out by flattering his ego, telling him how he had given the police the run around, which led to the confession about attempting to blow the Queen’s head off as she walked the streets of Dunedin on the royal visit a few months before. Lewis had used the helpful map of the Queen’s route, published in the Otago Daily Times, to draw  his field of fire and how many seconds he had to get in a head shot. His first shot was clear as day, the detective told me, from a roof  overlooking the street. It was only a couple of policeman who climbed onto that roof, to get a better view of the Queen, who messed up Lewis’ clear shot.
“There is no doubt he could have plugged her from there,” the detective told me. To this day, I wonder whether those policemen know their vantage point could have saved the Queen and averted a change in the course of history.
Detective Lewis recommended that the gunman be charged for treason that would have brought the whole story out. Police chiefs in Wellington were horrified – the revelation would have made them look like idiots and could have ended royal tours to New Zealand – and opted to sweep it under the carpet.
That is, until I came along six years later with my dogged reporting, poor horse riding and rickety typewriting. It is immensely satisfying to see, 31 years later, in this age of fake news and sloppy reporting, that every word I wrote was verified by newly released intelligence documents; even more so because the police at the time tried hard to pour cold water on my story.
If it had been possible to Google Christopher John Lewis in 1987 it would have been a lot easier and, undoubtedly, I would have got more information – but I probably wouldn’t have got the story.

Guns and fear on the trail of the man who wanted to kill the Queen

There are few words that can capture the inside of an African bar; that mix of noise, laughter, danger with the whiff of stale beer and the stench of smoke; the clatter of metal tables and chairs; a place where beer flows and tongues loosen faster than the frames of the fading pictures on the wall.
From Lusaka to Kigali and beyond, bar floors are scattered with the ashes of cigarettes and thousands of conversations – most forgotten – that launched scores of stories – most untrue – into African folklore.
The abdication of Robert Mugabe in November reminded me of one such tale told in a warm, smoky corner of an African bar.
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/focus/2018/02/20/new-dawn-zimbabwe-rosy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: A New Dawn For Zimbabwe, But Is It Rosy?</a>
The priceless tale was of Mugabe’s visit to London in 1994 on a mission to encourage more foreign investment into his, then, robust economy.
On the day Mugabe and his team set out their stall in a presentation to narrow-eyed investors, in London, a hand went up at the back of the room.
“If I put my money into Zimbabwe will it be nationalized at a later date?”
It was not the question Mugabe had traveled thousands of miles to hear, even though it was a portent of the troubles to come in Zimbabwe.
The tale I heard, in the African bar, was that Zimbabwe and Mugabe had the last laugh on their former colonial masters. The Queen invited Mugabe and his ministers to Buckingham Palace for a state banquet in their honor.
It was a glittering evening beneath the chandeliers with the cutlery glinting in the lights of the night. Each plate had half a dozen knives and forks on each side.
This caused considerable consternation for the former vice president, the late Simon Muzenda, who frowned down at the line of implements on either side of his plate. Now Muzenda was a good guerrilla fighter who distinguished himself in the liberation war in Zimbabwe. Yet, the man himself would have admitted he was not a great sophisticate when it came to state banquets in palaces.
“What do I do?” says Muzenda in his mother tongue of chiShona.
Mugabe replied patiently that Muzenda was to start on the outside and work his way in with every course that the waiters delivered. Then Mugabe, ever the pragmatist, turned to Her Majesty and said it was customary for his comrades to say a prayer, in chiShona, before a meal; she gave the royal assent. Mugabe clasped his hands and said something, roughly translated, like this.
“We thank you God for our safe journey and the food on the table. We also pray to God that Muzenda uses the right fork at the right moment!”
The Zimbabwe contingent collapsed into laughter; the Queen looked on bemused.
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/politics/2018/02/15/morgan-tsvangirai-quiet-man-forced-wrong-job/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: Morgan Tsvangirai: The Quiet Man Forced Into The Wrong Job</a>
Poor Muzenda would also have been the first to admit he maybe lacked a little education. His training consisted of a short period studying carpentry at a mission school in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province.
The latter gave rise to another tale in an African bar.
In the mid-1990s Mugabe was speaking at a dinner in South Africa when he paid tribute to the education the country had lent himself and his vice-presidents Joshua Nkomo and Muzenda. Mugabe listed the degrees that Nkomo had earned at South African universities.
“My other vice-president Muzenda has also had some training here,” says Mugabe, to a few snickers from his aides.
So, both tales great fodder for a night out in an African bar. True? Why should they be when so many spurious tales are born among beer suds and the cackle of the African night.
One sunny afternoon I was hanging out with the presidential spokesman George Charamba in Harare. In those more principled days of the Mugabe regime the charming Charamba played it fairly straight.
“You have got your story,” was his usual retort when you had your facts straight.
I put the Muzenda stories to him and on this occasion he was more emphatic.
“You write those and you will be on the fastest plane out of here,” smiled Charamba.
It was true. So, not all bar tales in Africa are to be thrown away with the dregs of the night before.

Tag: Queen Elizabeth

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