It was one of the most highly anticipated weddings in history – but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding came at a serious cost.
The new Duke and Duchess of Sussex spared no cost for their special day, with reports that the Royal Family spent a total of €38 million on their magical day.
CBS have reported that security was the most expensive part of the wedding, costing an estimated €33 million to keep the happy couple safe.
Although it sounds pretty steep, the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles actually cost €93 million in total.
But security cost more at Meghan and Harry’s wedding than it did for Prince William and Kate Middleton, as their entire wedding cost €28 million.
Here’s what was in the Royal Wedding budget:
Security
About $33 million went to security for the big day.
Thousands of members of the public were invited into Windsor Castle grounds for the special event, and about 100,000 spectators were estimated to gather in the town of Windsor.
Safety protocol reportedly included rooftop snipers, undercover police in the streets, a counter-UAV system, and a “drone destroyer”.
Snipers on the streets: Security forces build a £30MILLION taxpayer-funded ring of steel around Windsor https://t.co/FaZ0Ra06Pd
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) May 18, 2018
The groom’s role in the military also influenced the need for security of at the wedding.
The Independent also reported that the higher cost may be due to “heightened threat levels in the UK” following attacks over the past 18 months.”
British Tax Payers Paid For A Lot Of The Wedding
The Royal family said they would pay for the wedding, but their part of the bill would only cover “the core aspects of the wedding, such as the church service, the associated music, flowers, decorations, and the reception afterwards”.
Taxpayers are likely responsible for security costs.
The Wedding Dress
The Royal Wedding: #PrinceHarry and #MeghanMarkle in a custom #Givenchy Haute Couture dress designed by #ClareWaightKeller pic.twitter.com/FRwCmpWnOK
— GIVENCHY (@givenchy) May 19, 2018
The bespoke gown made by Givenchy is rumoured to have cost anywhere from €100,000 to €200,000.
Although apparently, it wasn’t as pricey as Kate Middleton’s wedding dress (rumoured at €350,000).
Other Costs
Luxury wedding planner Aimee Dunne estimated that the food and drinks could be €570,000; the glass marquee for the reception could be €339,000; and the flowers could be €110,000.
Bridebook also predicts €400,000 for the venue, €18,000 for photography and videography, €56,000 for the cake, €22,000 for the stationery, €339,000 for music, €150,000 for decorations and €6,000 for wedding rings.
Apparently, costs were over €11,000 for hair and makeup, €62,000 for entertainment, over €3,000 for wedding favours.
