The exact cost of a royal wardrobe is unconfirmed, but reports have estimated that it’s between $50,000 and $200,000 per year.In the past, King Charles’s household budget covered clothing worn to official royal engagements.Royals cannot accept gifts, but can reportedly wear clothes on loan from designers or pay for items themselves.

When you’re a member of the royal family, you’re expected to dress the part. 

Catherine, Princess of Wales has acquired quite the wardrobe since she first became a duchess in 2011—her favorite labels include Jenny Packham, Alexander McQueen, and Ralph Lauren. Her sister-in-law, Meghan Markle, also wore her share of designer duds during her tenure as a working royal. The fashion parade begs the question: How much does a royal wardrobe cost? And, where does the money come from?

As a general rule, royals are discouraged from accepting gifts from businesses and private individuals, per the official website of the royal family. That doesn’t mean everything is paid for out of pocket. Various outlets, including Hello! and Vogue Australia, have reported that Kate Middleton’s former stylist would call in designer looks on loan for the Princess which would be returned after events. It’s also possible that she and other royals purchase their own clothes—as Princess Diana did upon her engagement to then-Prince Charles.

Here’s everything to know about the annual cost of a royal wardrobe.

Estimates for Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle’s clothing budgets range from $50,000 to over $200,000.

Kate Middleton at the Royal Variety Performance on November 19, 2025.

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According to a 2012 report by The Cut, Middleton’s closet refresh in the year following her 2011 wedding to Prince William came with a steep price tag. Her various McQueen, Matthew Williamson, and Roland Mouret pieces were estimated to cost £35,000, or over $54,000. 

It should be noted that King Charles’s household budget—funded primarily by his private estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, before it passed to William in 2022—covers apparel for the family’s official public appearances and engagements. Middleton also may have borrowed and returned outfits from designers, a factor the estimated cost doesn’t account for. Whatever remained could have been covered by Middleton and her husband from their own salaries.

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the Commonwealth Day Service in March 2020.

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Middleton isn’t the only one who’s been in the spotlight for her high-price fashion. In July 2018, The Daily Mail tallied up the cost of 15 new looks worn by Markle after her May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. They reported the estimated cost of the Givenchy, Oscar de la Renta, and other designer looks at £155,575, or $207,000. Once more, however, the sum didn’t take into account clothing that was on loan from a label, purchased at a discount, or already owned by the actress.

The same outlet suggested that Middleton had worn about £119,000, or $158,000, worth of clothes as part of her own royal wardrobe in 2017.

Middleton, Princess Anne, and other royals will rewear outfits. 

Princess Anne (L) at Day Two of Royal Ascot on 18th June 2025.

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Despite the high number of official engagements royals participate in each year, they don’t buy a new outfit for every occasion. Eagle-eyed royal watchers have spotted Middleton, Princess Anne, and others donning their favorite pieces on multiple outings—a move that’s equal parts frugal and sustainable.

Princess Anne (back right) at the 1987 Trooping the Colour.

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For example, the Princess of Wales wore a $20 Zara prairie dress in January 2025 which she’d previously worn on a 2020 visit to Bradford, a 2021 visit to UCL, and a 2023 trip to Aberfan Memorial Garden. Fast forward to 2025, and Princess Kate once more pulled an outfit repeat by donning a red Alessandra Rich dress from 2019 for Charles’s annual Christmas lunch.

Charles’s sister, Princess Anne, is the original queen of the rewear. On two separate occasions in 2025, she styled a beige jacket and skirt set with orange trim which she’d debuted back in 1987. In March 2025, Anne thrilled archival fashion fans again by wearing a green, paisley printed dress she’d first sported in 1971. 

Even princesses hit London’s high-street stores.

The Zara store on Oxford Street in London, pictured in November 2025.

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Royals may make headlines when they wear big designers like McQueen, but they’ve also been spotted shopping at more affordable retailers. Per Vogue Australia, Middleton has purchased clothes at Zara, Gap, and Peter Jones. Her more affordable high-street outfits tend to sell out once she’s photographed wearing them—like the $55 red Zara midi dress she wore on a visit to a children’s center in 2020, according to Kate’s Closet.

The Princess doesn’t just mix high and low fashion in her own wardrobe; she also dresses her children in high-street brands like Gap Kids, H&M, and John Lewis.