Recent polls show that the Britons still love their royals such as Queen Elizabeth, Prince William and Prince Harry. However, there’s always the possibility that the British monarchy might eventually be abolished, given the trend where several monarchies all over the world have folded up in the twentieth century.

If such an event does indeed happen, the big question is in whose hands the substantial assets currently enjoyed by the royal family might eventually end up. Given the lack of precedent, opinions over the issue are understandably as varied as they could get.

Majority of royal family fans believe that the Crown Estate will likely go to the government. “The assets owned by the Crown, such as the Crown Estate and the Royal Palaces, would remain the property of the State,” Stephen Tempest wrote on Quora. The Crown Estate is estimated to be worth £12 billion.

Of course some negotiations between the royal family and the government are to be expected, especially when it comes to properties that the royals have been calling home for centuries. “Buckingham Palace and St. James Palace are clearly state property, but the rights at Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace and Clarence House are owned by the Crown Estate, but I suspect that the former royals would not let them go without a fight as these estates are their homes,” another Quora user, Frank Martin, explained.

Of course the royal family’s private assets would be theirs to keep. However, they’re not nearly as valuable as the Crown Estate’s portfolio.

“Highgrove House, Birkhall, Balmoral, Llwynywermod, Sandringham are all private homes, but none of them are in or near London,” Martin continued. “Sandringham House is worth US$65 million while Balmoral Castle has an estimated value of US$140 million. In comparison, the most expensive penthouse in London at One Hyde Park, sold for £160 million, in 2018.”

Interestingly, some fans don’t believe that the Crown Estate would automatically go to the government in case of the monarchy being abolished. There’s still a chance that it might become a private property of the ex-monarch instead.

“It's been argued that the Crown Estate would remain the property of the State, however, this may not be the case,” Michael Young argued on Quora. “When the King handed over his lands etc it was a contract that meant he was funded as the Monarch, if the country decided peacefully that they no longer wish to have a Monarch then that is cancelling the contract, in which case the assets should be handed back to the ex-Monarch, returning his private property.”

Those who want to see the monarchy done for good might have to wait a very long time for it to happen. Not only will it be a very tedious process, but the institution is also still very popular to the masses, especially when it comes to the new generation of royals.

Royal Family
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (3L) stands with her husband, Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (3R); her son, Britain's Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (2L), and his wife, Britain's Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (L); and her grandson, Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (2R), and his wife, Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP/Getty Images

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