London - Members of the super rock band Queen are now richer than the actual Queen, a rich list has revealed.
It is estimated that Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon are together sitting on a £445 million fortune after the box office success of the film Bohemian Rhapsody.
Their combined fortune is for the first time larger than the 93-year-old British Monarch’s, which is thought to have remained at £370 million, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
However the Rich List has now set a strict criteria, it now excludes the Crown Estate and the Royal Art Collection from the Queen’s assets.
The three remaining Queen members each have an estimated £25 million added to their wealth this year after the lead guitarist and songwriter May, 71, and drummer Taylor, 69, served as consultants for the award-winning film. Rhapsody, which shows the life of charismatic lead singer Freddie Mercury who died aged 45 in 1991 from AIDS-related pneumonia, is close to taking $1 billion (£759m) in worldwide ticket sales. Royalties from Queen’s huge back catalogue continue to roll in with Bohemian Rhapsody recently named as the most streamed 20th century song.
The success of the film, in which Rami Malek won the best actor Oscar and Bafta for his portrayal of Mercury, has boosted the appeal of Queen’s music.
