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The royal weddings cost a pretty penny. Some are more expensive than others, but one thing is certain: The royal women — and the women marrying the royals — spare no expense on their wedding gowns. But which wedding dress cost the most? We broke it down.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle smiling and holding hands on their wedding day
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle after their wedding | Jane Barlow – PA Images / Contributor

Meghan Markle

Wedding dress cost: $135,000

Meghan Markle is the newest woman to marry into the royal family, and though her wedding dress was the least expensive, it still cost a fortune. Some said the dress was far too expensive, costing more than three times the average American’s salary. The gown was by Givenchy, which is a well-known, very expensive brand. But despite coming in at more than six figures, it’s the least expensive dress of any recent royal. The entire wedding cost more than $40 million, but that was mostly due to security.

Princess Diana

Wedding dress cost: $115,000 ($250,000 today) 

If Princess Diana had purchased her gown today, it would come in at a whopping $250,000. The gown was massive and hardly fit in the carriage by which she arrived. It contained silk, taffeta, and lace, and the designer says she’s never made a duplicate of the dress. Despite being worth all that money, Diana actually got a stain on her dress just before walking down the aisle. She had spilled perfume on it while getting ready. Also, since Diana had continued to lose weight after being measured for the dress because of a harmful eating disorder, she actually had to wear a bodice that was then stitched into the dress on her big day.

Princess Eugenie

Wedding dress cost: $260,000

Princess Eugenie got married in October 2018, and there was no expense spared. Although an actual amount for her dress wasn’t given, experts believe it was worth somewhere around $260,000, making it even more valuable than Diana’s. Wedding expert Hamish Shepherd had calculated that the overall cost of Eugenie’s wedding would be close to $3.5 million. Eugenie wore a Stella McCartney dress. Although it cost a fortune, the bridesmaids’ and groomsmen’s outfits supposedly cost very little (in comparison).

Kate Middleton

Wedding dress cost: $434,000

Kate Middleton’s dress cost blows the other royals out of the water and is the most expensive on this list. The couple wed in 2011; Kate wore a dress valued at $434,000 that was designed by Sarah Burton and Alexander McQueen. It was a Victorian-inspired gown filled with lacework that was done completely by hand. The lace designs included roses, daffodils, and shamrocks. Despite having an insanely expensive wedding dress, William and Kate’s wedding actually cost nearly $10 million less than Meghan and Harry’s. It may be due to the amount of security.

Queen Elizabeth II

Wedding dress cost: Unknown

The actual cost of Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding dress is unknown, but she deserved to be included in this list. She was married in 1947, so the cost of the gown would naturally be far less than any of the more recent brides. It was made with ivory silk and laden with imported pearls. Due to rations during World War II, it was difficult to get the material the queen needed for her dress. Some have said that the queen actually used coupons to purchase the material. We may not know the actual cost, but The Crown, the Netflix show about the queen’s life, spent $37,000 trying to recreate it for an episode.

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