The Queen Mother passed away back in 2002 at the age of 101. Before her death, she set aside some funds to be given to her beloved great grandsons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

Eight years before her death, the Queen Mother put two thirds of her money into a trust. After her death, Harry received the bulk of the money instead of splitting it evenly with William. This was not because the Queen Mother favored Harry more than his brother, however. Instead, it was a decision that was thought through very carefully.

As third in line for the throne, William will become the new Prince of Wales when Prince Charles inherits the throne from Queen Elizabeth. When this happens, William will take on the Duchy of Cornwall, a private estate which funds the public, charitable and private activities of the heir to the throne. This means that he will have more financial benefits than Harry ever will, so the Queen Mother wanted to even things up a bit by leaving more to the younger brother.

The Queen Mother left a sizable fortune of £50 to £70 million. Most of the money came from investments, including paintings, a valuable Faberge egg collection, precious china, jewellery and horses. The entire estate went to Queen Elizabeth, her only surviving daughter.

“Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother has bequeathed her entire estate (which mainly comprises the contents of her houses) to The Queen,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement at the time. “In her will, she asked The Queen to make certain bequests to members of her staff, and these bequests will be subject to Inheritance Tax in the normal way.

“The Queen has decided that the most important of Queen Elizabeth’s pictures and works of art should be transferred to the Royal Collection,” the statement continued. “Some of these items, including works by Monet, Nash and Carl Fabergé, from Queen Elizabeth’s collection will be on display in the ‘Royal Treasures’ exhibition, which is due to open at the new Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, on 22 May.”

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