The Royal Family Clothing Budget Is Reportedly Up Almost $2 Million Since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Engagement

Being royal comes with a lot of rules and obligations. On the upside, the job also comes with a pretty incredible wardrobe (opens in new tab). Members of the royal family aren't expected to pay for the clothes (opens in new tab) they wear to official royal engagements. Prince Charles picks up the tab for the clothes Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and, now, Meghan Markle, wear to official events—and that budget has skyrocketed since Harry and Meghan got engaged.

Last year, Prince Charles spent £4.96 million (about $6.5 million) on William, Harry, and Kate's activities, compared to £3.52 million ($4.6 million) the year before, according to The Telegraph (opens in new tab). That's an increase of £1.43 million ($1.88 million) since Meghan Markle came on the scene.

Don't blame the change on Meghan though. First of all, the royal family famously did not start picking up the tab for her clothing until Harry put a ring on it (opens in new tab) on May 19. Meghan Markle reportedly spent almost $30,000 (opens in new tab) of her own money on clothing for royal events through March 2017.

Even if the reports of Meghan paying for her own pre-wedding wardrobe weren't true, blaming the increase on the newest royal in-law would still be unfair. The main cause for the increase is simple: Prince William, Prince Harry, and Kate Middleton have been taking on more and more royal duties in the past year as Queen Elizabeth II cuts back (opens in new tab). More royal appearances means more clothes to wear during royal appearances, which means more money spent on clothes.

According to The Telegraph, Prince Charles pays for William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan's expenses from the income he receives from the Duchy of Cornwall. Of course, Charles doesn't have to pay for everything related to his sons and their wives performing royal duties. Travel is paid for by the Queen and comes from the Sovereign Fund—meaning it's actually paid for by the taxpayers.