Queen 'worth more than £270m' says US magazine

THE Queen is worth more than £270 million, a US magazine report on the world's richest rulers has claimed.

Forbes said it had worked out her fortune based on holdings including her estates, fine art, jewellery, antiques and a stamp collection built up by her grandfather, King George V.

Buckingham Palace and the crown jewels were not factored in. But the British monarch's wealth was nothing compared to that of some of her Middle Eastern counterparts. The financial magazine estimated that Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz had a staggering 11.4 billion fortune.

Prince Albert of Monaco's worth was put at 544 million.

It also claimed that Cuban President Fidel Castro has a fortune far outstripping the British monarch. He has an estimated worth of 489 million.

Forbes said it had estimated the 79-year-old's wealth based on his control of a web of state-owned companies, although he claims he has zero net worth.