Kate Middleton married Prince William on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. They have three children together, Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, one. Meghan Markle, 37, became part of the family when she married Prince Harry, 34, on 19 May 2018 at Windsor Castle. Both of the royals had televised ceremonies which were very grand to look at, but how much did they cost and who paid?
Kate Middleton wedding
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge married at Westminster Abbey and the wedding was estimated to cost a whopping £23.7 million.
For the big day, Kate wore a custom-made wedding dress designed by Sarah Burton for the fashion house Alexander McQueen.
It had a fitted bodice with lace sleeves and a nine-foot-long train. The whole design cost an estimated £250,000 to make.
Kate borrowed the Cartier halo tiara from the Queen’s collection, which an expert valued at £750,000 to £1,250,000.
On decorating the event, Good Housekeeping reported the floral budget was an astounding £800,000.
The Australian newspaper, Herald Sun, also estimated security at the high-profile event set the couple back around A$32 million, or £17 million.
So, who paid for the lavish event?
All of the cost for the wedding itself were absorbed by the Royal Family and Kate Middleton’s family and the security and transport were covered by Her Majesty’s Treasury.
Meghan Markle wedding
The wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex cost £32 million according to Business Insider, making the event much pricier than Kate’s.
Meghan also opted for a specially made dress by the British designer Clare Waight Keller of Givenchy.
It had a simple satin design with long sleeves and an off-the-shoulder neckline and was estimated to cost an eye-watering £387,000.
She wore the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau tiara which was could have cost millions, an expert revealed.
Gemologist and jewellery expert, Deborah Papas, explained: “It is hard to put a value on this little seen piece but could be worth up to £2 million.”
The cake was thought to cost £50,000, the florist £110,000 and the catering £286,000.
The Royal Family announced they would be footing the bill for the lavish wedding.