Why Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle had to pay for their own royal wedding dresses.

So… It’s a universally acknowledged fact that wedding dresses are expensive.

But royal wedding dresses? Well, let’s just say they cost way more than most of us make in a year.

Though they were marrying into the extremely wealthy British royal family, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle actually had to pay for their own wedding dresses.

In fact, before their weddings, Kate and Meghan had to pay for all their own clothes – or with help from Prince William or Prince Harry’s personal wealth.

Nothing was covered by royal family funds.

Meghan wore a handmade Ralph and Russo gown for her and Harry’s December 2017 engagement photos. New Idea reported this dress cost £56,000 (that’s AU$101,000!).

Her Givenchy wedding dress is estimated to have cost somewhere between AU$137,000-AU$365,000. Wow.

Of course, Meghan’s former acting career meant her net worth was estimated at $5 million before she became a royal. Fortune reported she earned US$50,000 per episode of Suits, so she could afford to spend big on her dresses.

Even though Kate was considered a 'commoner' before her marriage to William, her family reportedly paid for her very expensive custom Sarah Burton Alexander McQueen wedding gown.

Her gown is believed to have cost £250,000, about AU$450,000. That is just... mind-blowing.

Kate herself is worth around $10 million, and the company her family owns is reportedly worth $50 million, so she could afford costly threads too.

Now that they're married, Kate and Meghan's outfits are covered by a large royal estate called the Duchy of Cornwall. It earns money through owning and renting land, plus investments and interest.

Prince Charles is currently in charge of the estate and he gives his sons and their wives an annual 'allowance' to fund their royal lives, including office cost and clothes.

In 2016, William, Harry and Kate received over £3 million from the Duchy.

Unlike other celebrities, the royal family is forbidden to accept gifts. This means they're not allowed to receive free clothes from designers so each and every (exxy) outfit is paid for.