Talk about being born with a silver spoon - literally.
Four-month old princess Charlotte, the youngest member of the royal family and daughter of the Duke of Cambridge Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, is seen to being an estimated $5 billion into the U.K. economy, said Brand Finance, and independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy that helps organizations to maximize the returns from their assets.
According to CNN Money, the so-called "Charlotte effect" could generate windfall revenue for several products, from baby foods, baby dresses, fashion, toys, shoes, etc. However, Princess Charlotte's mother, Kate, is estimated to be worth $7.2 billion and her brother, Prince George, at $3.6 billion.
"The unofficial endorsement of Charlotte, George and Kate in particular has a profound financial effect running into millions annually. The demand for authentic connection to or emulation of key members of the royal family is by no means fulfilled. This too presents a major opportunity," said Brand Finance Chief Executive David Haigh.
Princess Charlotte has already shown impressive numbers despite being introduced to the world in only four month and seen publicly only twice, when she was born and during her christening. Brand Finance said those two public appearances have already generated impressive business interest.
Indeed the $100 lacy shawl the princess wore when she was first introduced to the public continues to sell. "The shawl is still very popular, we have seen a big increase in orders from all around the world in the last couple of months, thanks to all the media coverage," Gillian Taylor, director at G.H. Hurt & Sons told CNN.
British Monarchy Worth $87 Billion
On September 9th Queen Elizabeth II will become the longest serving monarch in British history. Her majesty acceded to the throne on February 6th 1952, meaning that Queen Victoria's record of 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes will soon be broken. This milestone has already begun to reignite debates about the Monarchy's future and whether it is an asset or a drain on the British economy.
Specialist brand and business valuation agency Brand Finance sought to answer this question at the time of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee in 2012, finding the Monarchy's value at that point to be in excess of $67 billion (£44 billion). Brand Finance's latest update to that figure suggests that as the Queen becomes Britain's longest reigning sovereign, the institution that she leads is more valuable than ever. It is now worth just under $87 billion (£57 billion) and will make a net contribution to the economy this year of $1.767 billion (£1.155bn).
Brand Finance has estimated the value of the Monarchy, often known colloquially as 'The Firm', as if it were a business. First, the annual contribution to the UK economy has been estimated. Costs such as the Sovereign Grant, security and maintenance of palaces have been netted off against sources of income including the uplift to tourism, the price premium commanded by brands with Royal Warrants, the surplus generated by the Crown Estate. This net annual contribution amounts to $1.767 billion (£1.155 billion) in 2015.
When this contribution is projected into perpetuity, it has a net present value of $55.8 billion (£36.7 billion). To this are added The Firm's tangible assets (the Crown Estate, the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster and the Crown Jewels) to reach a total of $86.7 billion (£56.7 billion).
Haigh commented, "As Queen Elizabeth approaches this historic milestone, she heads a Royal Family near a peak of popularity. Yet the old debate over whether the Monarchy should be retained continues to rage. The principle of whether monarchy is an appropriate and fair form of government in the 21st century certainly remains open to question. However Brand Finance's research shows that from an economic standpoint at least, the royalists firmly have the upper hand."
