Queen Elizabeth celebrated the 53rd anniversary of her accession to the throne with an unusual public appearance at the weekend, her spirits apparently unaffected by the news that her investments have nose-dived in value by more than £21 million over the last four years.
Accounts for the Duchy of Lancaster – whose profits are the basis for her private income, which supports other members of the Royal Family and pays for the upkeep of Balmoral and Sandringham castles - stood at £77.6 million in 2000 but had plunged to £56.2 million by 2004.
Financial analysts are looking into the Queen's accounts because, despite the fact that markets had generally performed poorly over that period, her diverse portfolio should not have fared so badly. MPs will also be looking into the Duchy of Lancaster's accounts to see whether more could have been done to stave off such a steep decline.
But the probes into her investments did not seem to dampen the Queen's mood on her anniversary. Usually she opts to spend the day in quiet reflection, but this year she met with well-wishers who presented her with flowers after she attended church service near Sandringham on Sunday.
)
