Record-breaking ROYALS
Meet the richest, deadliest and longest-lived monarchs and find out who had the most wives, the most money and the most heirs
“According to Forbes, King Bhumibols Adulyadej’s wealth amounted to £22 billion”
Richest
King Bhumibol Adulyadej
1946–2016 / Thailand
In 2012, the Guinness World Record holder for the richest royal was King Bhumibol Adulyadej, King Rama IX of the Chakri dynasty of Thailand. According to Forbes, his wealth amounted to £22 billion ($30 billion), and his riches included the largest cut diamond in the world, a 545-carat jewel known as the Golden Jubilee Diamond.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away in 2016, but no royal yet comes close to taking his title. The nearest is Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei, who was reportedly worth £15 billion ($20 billion) in 2011.
Longest reign
Sobhuza II
1899–1982 / Swaziland
Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch in 2015, outstripping the record set by her great great grandmother, Queen Victoria. But this doesn’t yet match global records.