Queen Elizabeth is a notoriously frugal woman — even though she's royal — but she's always been a bit of a splurger when it comes to her cars. She's owned some of the nicest makes around with some of the snazziest customizations (like a special back seat for her beloved dogs to travel in style).
It helps that some of the cars the royals own were given to them by British brands eager to have the publicity of a royal driving one of their cars. Who's ever going to say no to a free car? Not the Queen.
And she's not the only one who loves a fancy vehicle. Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and even Prince Harry have been spotted in the most luxurious cars over the years.
From the Queen's vintage Rolls-Royce to Harry's updated 1968 Jaguar — and everything in between — here are some of the royal family's coolest (and most expensive) cars.
The Queen's Rolls-Royce Phantom IV
Meghan Markle arrived to her wedding in the Queen's Rolls-Royce Phantom IV, one of the monarch's most beloved vehicles. Elizabeth first got the car in 1950, back when she was still a princess. It's managed to make it through her impressive near-70 years as the reigning queen. We're sure it's been fixed a time or two to make it this long, though.
The Queen's Daimler
Daimler has been a long-loved car make for the Queen. She's pictured here driving one of its saloon cars in 1957, with her young children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne seated with her. In the 1980s, the Queen picked up another, newer Daimler that was specially outfitted with a back seat for her dogs.
The Vauxhall Cresta
The Queen was spotted driving this handsome station wagon — known as an estate car in the UK — in the '80s. It's a 1961 model from the British car manufacturer Vauxhall. It was designed as competition for the popular Cadillacs of the day. But since the Cresta was British, the Queen opted to get that over the American-made Cadillac.
The Bentley Limo
Bentley gifted this car to Elizabeth in 2002 to mark 50 years of her historic reign. It was specially designed to allow more people to see Her Majesty. With panoramic windows wrapping the circumference of the vehicle, fans on all sides would be able to wave at the Queen whenever she drove it around.
Princess Anne's Reliant Scimitar
The notoriously practical Anne would have a car called Reliant. The Scimitar model (pictured here in 1971) was gifted to the princess by her parents for her 20th birthday. Over the years, she owned eight more versions of the car, updating it as necessary. But this 1970 model will always be the coolest.
Royal Range Rovers
For official duties, the Queen had her 2002 open-back Range Rover. It allowed her to stand and wave to crowds while being driven through long lines of fans. She eventually replaced the custom car in 2015 with a similar Range Rover model that still allowed her to stand and greet passersby.
Land Rovers for the Countryside
While the Queen uses her Range Rover for official duties in London, she has traditionally opted for a Land Rover while at her country estates such as Windsor and Balmoral. The sturdy cars easily traverse the terrain and help the royals carry on with their favorite outdoor activities like hunting. This is one of the Queen's vintage Land Rovers pictured in 1985.
Prince Philip's Hearse
The royals love Land Rovers so much that Prince Philip even chose one to be his hearse. The custom Land Rover hearse was 16 years in the making, according to the BBC. The late prince designed it himself, beginning in 2003. He had it specially made to carry his coffin for the drive to his burial, which took place in April 2021.
Philip's Aston Martin
Prince Philip bought this Aston Martin Lagonda sports car in 1954, and it's one of just 20 ever made. He even had it outfitted with a special radio telephone that could specifically call the palace. He got years of use out of it, but in 2016, he sold it at auction for around $480,000.
Charles Also Had an Aston Martin
Carrying on his father's love of the British vehicle brand, Charles owned a 1994 Aston Martin Virage Volante. The car was painted a rich forest green color and featured a retractable leather top for good weather driving. The prince used the snazzy car for more than a decade until 2008, and it was later auctioned off for a whopping $310,000.
An Aston Martin Family
Prince William and Kate Middleton used one of Charles' classic cars for their wedding day. They outfitted his $278,000 Aston Martin with a "Just Wed" license plate for their big exit from their wedding. Thanks to Charles' "something borrowed," they were able to drive into their new life in high style.
Diana's Custom Jaguar
Diana's flashy 1983 Jaguar was never intended as a family car. But when the princess asked for modifications, she got them. According to Vogue, the two-seater XJ-SC model was expanded to include back seats for sons William and Harry. She also had it made in green so it would coordinate with her husband Charles' Aston Martin.
The Troublesome Mercedes
Ever the rule-breaker, Diana ignored royal protocol and bought a German car — a Mercedes-Benz. At the time, it was typical for royals to drive British-made vehicles to bolster the country's car industry. Diana's red Mercedes caused such an uproar that she ended up returning it in 1992.
Post-Divorce Audi
One of the first things Diana did following her divorce from Charles was get a non-British car. She was free to do what she liked now that she was no longer a working royal. Diana opted for an Audi, from the German manufacturer. She's pictured here driving the luxury vehicle in 1994.
Harry & Meghan's Slick Jaguar
Like his mother, Harry also owned a Jaguar. He and Meghan were spotted riding off in the sleek car following their wedding. The baby blue vehicle was originally manufactured in 1968, but had since been updated to work as an electric car — in line with Harry's passion for protecting the environment.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
