19 November 2023 , 09:00
928
0
Queen Elizabeth II led a very busy life during her 70 years on the throne, but despite having lots on her plate as the Head of State for seven decades, she still found time for her hobbies.
Among those hobbies, which included horse riding and Scottish dancing, the late monarch - who passed away in September last year at the age of 96 - also had a keen interest in collecting stamps. In fact, her passion for the hobby was so large that the collection she amassed is believed to have earned her a staggering £100 million thanks to some of the rare and valuable items she owns.
The Queen had been interested in stamp collecting for decades (ullstein bild via Getty Images)The Queen collected stamps for decades prior to her passing, and among her impressive collection is a Mauritian stamp, which alone was valued at a staggering £2 million back in 2002. The 1847 stamp from the Post Office of Mauritius is one of the most prized in the world, reports the Telegraph.
The rare stamp originally belonged to her grandfather King George V, who bought it at auction in 1904. He paid £1,450 for the stamp at the time, which is equivalent to around £60,000 today. The stamp went on display to the public in 2002 as part of a travelling exhibition to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
Over the years, the late monarch is said to have built up a collection that is large enough to fill about 300 albums and 200 extra boxes, which are stored in a vault at St James's Palace. But the Queen didn't start the collection herself, and the hobby of stamp collecting - known as philately - has been passed down through generations of royals.
Kate Middleton swears by £19.99 rosehip oil that helps 'reduce wrinkles & scars'
Queen Victoria's second son, Prince Alfred, started the stamp collection in 1864. He then sold it to his brother, the future King Edward VII, who in turn gave it to his son, King George V and it subsequently passed down to King George VI and then to Queen Elizabeth II.
When the Queen took over the collection she decided to sell some of the "surplus to requirement" stamps at auction and used the cash to buy new additions. According to the Telegraph, the pieces she sold were a huge hit with buyers back in 2001 and her 200 items made £750,000. She spent £250,000 of the profit on a unique set of 10 Penny Blacks.
Following her passing last year, the collection - which is known as the Royal Philatelic Collection - was passed down once again to her son, King Charles III, who will now take care of the collection. The collection is not part of the reigning monarch's private wealth, and on a day-to-day basis it is looked after by the Privy Purse and Treasurer's Office, who have overall responsibility for the collection as a department of the Royal Household.