The Richest European Royal Will Definitely Surprise You

The public might imagine that members of the British Royal Family—especially The King—top the charts when it comes to the wealthiest people in the U.K., but the truth is King Charles only made number 258 on the 2024 Sunday Times Rich List. And while he might have moved up the rankings last year—with the British monarch holding an estimated $772 million fortune—it turns out he's far behind when it comes to some of his European counterparts.

In fact, the richest European royal is from a rather unexpected place: Luxembourg. Despite being Europe's seventh-smallest country, its monarch, Grand Duke Henri—who will be abdicating the throne later this year—is reportedly worth roughly $4 billion, per a 2019 Business Insider ranking of 10 royal billionaires.

According to the New York Post, 69-year-old Henri's fortune includes "an impressive real estate portfolio" along with "one-of-a-kind jewels, acres on acres of land and private holdings."

The country's royal family might not make as many headlines as the Brits, but in his 2024 Christmas Eve speech, Grand Duke Henri, who married Cuban-born Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista in 1981—announced he'd be stepping down in favor of his eldest son, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, in October.

Speaking in an RTL interview, Guillaume was surprisingly frank about his nerves regarding his father's upcoming October 3 abdication. "I have known for a long time that this moment would come," he admitted. "But when it arrives, it is a whole different matter, and I am a bit nervous."

The soon-to-be Grand Duke shares two sons—Prince Charles, 4, and Prince François, who will turn 3 on March 27—with wife Princess Stéphanie, who will become the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.

"At 42, one is still young and has many new ideas to implement," Guillaume continued in his RTL interview. "So, this was ideal for me, and I thank my father for the trust he gives me."

While Asian and Middle Eastern royal families top the billionaires list, two other Europeans made the cut, with Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein coming in at number seven ($3.5 billion) and Prince Albert II of Monaco's $1 billion fortune giving him the 10th spot.