The Most Expensive Royal Weddings Ever

It's no secret that royal weddings are not exactly economical. Weddings in general are getting exponentially more expensive each year. According to the Brides 2018 American Wedding Study, the average wedding totaled $44,000 that year. In 2017, however, a typical wedding ran about $27,000. That's an over 60% increase in just one year. And this is just the cost of your standard, run-of-the-mill wedding. A royal wedding is, naturally, a whole lot more expensive.

While most of the British royal weddings these days are paid for, in large part, by the royal family, there is still an impact on taxpayers — to the tune of millions of dollars. Royal weddings also differ from average ceremonies because they're actually able to generate revenue back into the economy. When speaking with Market Watch, Richard Haigh, managing director at Brand Finance, estimated that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 2018 wedding alone had a $1.4 billion impact on the United Kingdom's economy. Still, royal weddings — whether in the U.K. or elsewhere — don't come cheap. These are some of the most expensive royal weddings ever.

In 1956, an American "commoner" married a royal in one expensive royal wedding in Monaco. Hollywood actress Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco married at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco on April 18, 1956.

Although there isn't a complete breakdown of the royal couple's wedding costs, Harper's Bazaar reported that Kelly's wedding gown, which was comprised of 100 yards of quality silk and 25 yards of taffeta, cost around $8,000 in 1956. With inflation, that would be over $100,000 today. Her father, millionaire Jack Kelly, also needed to provide a dowry of $2 million before his daughter could marry the prince. Express quoted her father, who was outraged at the time, as saying, "My daughter doesn't have to pay any man to marry her." Still, he did eventually contribute the necessary $2 million to put toward wedding costs. Obviously, calling Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly's wedding opulent would be quite the understatement.

Just as the world was going through royal wedding withdrawal after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's nuptials, Princess Eugenie married her longtime partner, Jack Brooksbank. The two were pronounced husband and wife at George's Chapel at Windsor Castle — the same venue Harry and Meghan used. Although the royal family hasn't stated just how much the princess' wedding cost, Hamish Shephard, founder of the wedding planning site and app Bridebook, revealed his estimate in an interview with Express. 

Factoring in the costs of catering, flowers, entertainment, the necessary police presence, and so on, Hamish believes the royal wedding likely cost about £2.7 million. That is, $3.3 million. Harper's Bazaar estimated that Eugenie's wedding gown alone likely set the royal family back by $135,000 — and that's on the low end. "Given Eugenie's place in the royal family, and the connection she's established in London's fashion scene, it's likely that her gown is being designed especially for her, and that fabrics were sourced from wherever necessary," the publication revealed. All such things come at a pretty penny.

Prince William and Kate Middleton had one pricey royal wedding. Business Insider reported that their 2011 wedding totaled an incredible £23.7 million, or $34 million. CBS News revealed that all but $2 million went toward paying for security. A large portion of the leftover cash went toward Kate's stunning Alexander McQueen gown, which carried a price tag of nearly a half-million dollars — $434,000 to be exact.

Although it's not uncommon for the British royal family to foot the bill for the majority of royal wedding-related expenses, Kate's family reportedly contributed a great deal to the couple's ceremony. A senior royal aide confirmed to Vanity Fair that the Middleton family made a "six-figure contribution" to the couple's wedding: "It is something they absolutely wanted to do, and William graciously accepted." We do get it, William. Weddings are expensive.

Not long after Prince William and Kate Middleton married in 2011, Monaco's Prince Albert II married Charlene Wittstock. "It was a much-needed sprinkling of stardust for the Grimaldi family, harking back to the happy day, 55 years ago, when Albert's late father, Prince Rainier, married Hollywood beauty Grace Kelly," the Los Angeles Times reported. And, much like Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly's royal wedding, the modern-day couple's wedding was über expensive. According to the publication, the wedding costs tallied up to $70 million. Gulp.

The wedding took place at the royal palace in Monaco, BBC News reported, and a "more elaborate religious ceremony" was held later. Despite the glitz and glamour of the wedding, though, rumors took center stage that day. Some claimed Wittstock was suffering from cold feet and was going to call the whole thing off. "These rumors have no other goal than to severely damage the reputation of the monarch and thereby that of Miss Wittstock and severely undermine this happy event," the palace revealed in a statement to BBC News. The couple did indeed get married and, as of this writing, are still together.

The Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark had a lavish royal wedding that was the perfect happy ending to their fairytale romance. Frederik first met Mary in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics. After the prince happened to meet the then-marketing executive at a bar, the pair started a long-distance relationship. She even had to learn Danish, convert to Lutheranism, and give up her Australian citizenship to make the relationship work (via SCMP). Just one year later, Mary moved to Denmark, and, by 2003, the pair was engaged.

Their extravagant royal wedding took place on May 14, 2004. According to Hello!, the wedding was truly something out of a storybook. Mary wore a stunning off-the-shoulder satin gown with a 19-foot train by Danish designer Uffe Frank along with a lace veil previously worn by Princess Margareta from Sweden. The Bishop of Copenhagen officiated. Outside, thousands of royal fans gathered and waved flags from both Denmark and Australia. It's hard to imagine a more romantic story or a more beautiful wedding!

King Felipe and Queen Letizia — a former journalist — of Spain tied the knot in 2004 at Madrid's Cathedral Santa Maria la Real de la Alundena — and, as you might expect, the wedding was pretty spectacular. For a start, the bride was presented with an engagement ring reportedly worth £20,000 (or $24,000), via Express.

According to Royal Central, the wedding celebrations lasted a whole week and included a dinner for 350 guests. Roughly 25 million people watched the ceremony itself on TV and on huge screens mounted throughout the city. Huge crowds turned up even though the wedding took place on a rainy day! The bride's gown, designed by Manuel Pertegaz, featured a four-and-a-half meter train. She also wore a Prussian tiara and diamond earrings. Per Hello!, the bridal party consisted of adorable children from the royal family who wore white and gold.

In 2004, Al-Muhtadee Billah Bolkiah, Crown Prince of Brunei, married Sarah Salleh, a "commoner," in a wedding that's considered to be one of the most lavish in history. As Page Six reported, the pair even arrived in a limo adorned with gold. According to Royalty Monthly, the pair met through a mutual friend.

The ceremony took place on September 9, 2004, in Istana Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan. As CBS reported at the time, they followed Malay traditions and celebrated for two whole weeks. First, on September 5, the couple had a marriage powdering ceremony followed by a traditional henna ceremony on September 8, in which the bride was accompanied by four bridesmaids. After the ceremony, the pair drove through the streets in a procession featuring 103 limousines and cars along with a marching band. Clearly, this was a wedding that the people of Brunei would never forget.