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

But it's not Meghan's fault.

Meghan Markle
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Being royal comes with a lot of rules and obligations. On the upside, the job also comes with a pretty incredible wardrobe. Members of the royal family aren't expected to pay for the clothes 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. 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 on May 19. Meghan Markle reportedly spent almost $30,000 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. 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.

Kayleigh Roberts
Weekend Editor

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.