Queen Elizabeth has an unusual hobby that has made her earn $135 million (£100 million) without any risks. Her Majesty has reportedly been building her stamp collection for decades, so she has amassed a private wealth that could be unmatched.
According to reports, the Queen has 300 albums and 200 boxes of stamps contained in a vault at the St. James Palace. One of these is an 1847 stamp from Mauritius, which was valued at $2.71 million (£2 million) in 2002. It used to belong to King George V, her grandfather, who bought it from an auction for around $2,000 in 1904.
Queen Elizabeth inherited the stamp collection when she became the monarch. But she continued to build the collection by auctioning off surplus pieces to invest in more valuable stamps.
Royal expert Ingrid Seward said that Queen Elizabeth could focus on her stamp collection during the lockdown since she didn't have a lot of in-person engagements. Aside from being a lucrative hobby, she enjoys rifling through her collection because organizing keeps her brain active.
Despite staying protected within her own COVID-19 safe bubble with Prince Philip at Windsor Castle, the Queen continues to conduct royal engagements via the virtual platform. She recently had a virtual conference call with some of the members of the tax advisory and financial assistance team from Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG) to mark the firm's 150th anniversary.
One of the participants in the virtual call is KPMG's first Black member of the board, John McCalla-Leacy, who said he had his start with some help from Prince Charles' The Prince's Trust. He told Queen Elizabeth that he's sincerely grateful for the Prince of Wales' foundation, which made Her Majesty quite proud.
Queen Elizabeth assured McCalla-Leacy that she would let her son know of his gratitude. She also said that her son's Prince's Trust has indeed helped a lot of people.
Meanwhile, the monarch will address the United Kingdom for her annual Christmas speech on Dec. 25. Reports cited that Queen Elizabeth started writing a "personal and emotional" message, which she has yet to finish. Her Majesty reportedly delayed the filming of her speech due to the Brexit standoff last week.
Royal correspondent Phil Dampier said that the tone of the Queen's speech will be encouraging and similar to her inspiring message at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown in April. She will touch on families who have to stay apart during Christmas because of the virus threat.
The Queen usually travels to Sandringham at this time of the year to prepare for the royal family's traditional Christmas get-together. This year, however, she and Prince Philip will be isolated from the rest of the Windsors and quietly celebrate the holidays.
