Queen Elizabeth II has bigger brand recognition than Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Barack and Michelle Obama, the Kardashians and Beyonce, according to a new statistical analysis.
The report from German firm Statistica revealed that Queen Elizabeth, who is the head of Britain's House of Windsor, has actually built the fifth-biggest corporate brand in the world, surpassing even popular brands like Microsoft, Nike and Coca-Cola. Statistica's report was featured in a new documentary, Elizabeth at 95: The Invincible Queen, which aired on True Royalty TV.
Statistica estimated that the royal family's The Firm is now valued at over $100 billion thus it remains the most valuable brand in the United Kingdom and its largest pull for tourism. Queen Elizabeth's net worth as the monarch, on the other hand, falls at $50 billion while her personal wealth is close to $560 million. Her personal wealth covers her valuable art collection, jewelry and private properties.
Guests experts in the documentary said that Queen Elizabeth is not just the longest-reigning British monarch but the most profitable. A big factor to her value has to do with public perception and she has continually sustained the favor of the public, especially in recent controversies involving Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. According to the analysts, Queen Elizabeth's response to Harry and Meghan's Oprah Winfrey interview was pitch-perfect.
But the documentary also raised the question of what will happen to the British monarchy when the crown is passed to Prince Charles? The Prince of Wales has an impressive private fortune as well and has built a billion-dollar organic farming empire in his 50 years as the landlord of Cornwall.
However, unlike Queen Elizabeth, public perception of Charles sways because of the mistakes he has made in his first marriage to Princess Diana. For a time, Charles and his second wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, were considered pariahs by the public because of their illicit affair. That perception has recently impacted the couple with the release of The Crown season 4.
According to Australian historian Jenny Hocking is also more political than his mother, which makes him less popular among world leaders. Hocking said that some people are "disturbed" how Charles gets himself involved in political matters when, traditionally, the monarch has to stay neutral.
But Charles once said in a documentary from 2018 that he knows his role as a future sovereign and will practice constraints when he becomes the king. He also said that as an heir to the throne, he has always tried to be non-political. However, he acknowledged that it's impossible to do things exactly the same way as Queen Elizabeth since changes are happening around the world and he will be expected to respond and take action to these changes.
