Why was Kate Middleton's wedding dress so expensive?
Kate Middleton married Prince William in 2011, and she drew 23 million viewers in America alone. There are a lot of things to take away from this day, but one thing stands out in the minds of many: Kate's royal wedding dress. The Duchess of Cambridge's 2011 dress cost $ 434,000. Here's how this price tag came into being.
Kate wore an Alexander McQueen dress designed by Sarah Burton
Kate's dress was branded Alexander McQueen, which alone adds to the cost of the dress. Alexander McQueen is extremely expensive - any standard dress on the website could easily cost over $ 3,000. The wedding dress was personalized and designed by Sarah Burton, Creative Director of Alexander McQueen. The dress was Victorian-inspired and narrowed to the waist, drawing on the tradition of Victorian corsetry, the palace said in a statement. Any bespoke dress will easily cost more than a store bought dress. The brand and its unique design have driven up prices.
It featured a nine foot train and handmade lace
The fact that Kate's dress was personalized was just one of the reasons it was so expensive. The way the dress was made was the main cost. It featured a nine-foot train, which was infamously owned by Pippa Middleton (and one of the reasons some say Pippa stole Kate's searchlight). The additional hardware made a spectacular entrance and certainly increased the cost. It also featured completely handmade lace. The Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace, used a special Irish technique known as Carrickmacross to create the lace pattern. According to Town and Country Magazine, the lace designs on the dress included hand-cut roses, thistle, daffodils and shamrocks. Kate's veil was also created at school.
Almost all materials were supplied by UK companies
Kate chose a British designer, but she also chose almost any British-made material. The dress paid homage to British craftsmanship. The entire dress was designed and made in England. However, Town and Country reported that the dress featured both English and French Chantilly lace, so Kate sourced a bit from outside the UK. But for the most part, she stuck with the UK for every part of the dress, from its conception to its creation.
Kate's parents reportedly paid for the dress
It may seem that the only family that could afford such a royal dress would be the royal family. However, reports indicated that Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, had in fact footed the bill for the dress of $ 434,000. Kate's family also owns an online party supplies business, which Time estimates could be worth as much as $ 50 million. It's unclear how much of the wedding the Middletons actually paid, but it makes UK taxpayers feel better knowing the cost of Kate's dress didn't come out of their pockets.
Kate Middleton had, by far, the most expensive dress of any modern royal wedding. People have reported that Meghan Markle and Princess Eugenie's dresses cost somewhere between $ 135,000 and $ 260,000, still a far cry from Kate's massive cost.
