We now know exactly how much The Princess of Wales spent on clothes last year.

January 8, 2023

When it comes to the new guard of royals, few have had more of an impact on fashion than Kate Middleton.

Whether it was her iconic wedding dress, high street fashion bargains or red carpet gowns, she has captivated the press and general public's attention.

But fashion for a royal can come at a steep cost it appears.

This week royal fashion site UFO No More – a platform that unmasks 'unidentified fashion objects' worn by European royalty – put out their annual list of the value of new pieces debuted by 19 titled women of Europe, based on the 1359 identified pieces.

And thanks to their incredible sleuthing skills, the public now knows just how much some of the most well-known royals are paying for their wardrobe. To put it bluntly... it's a lot.

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Video via Mamamia.

The European royals who came out on top of the list was Princess Charlene of Monaco at $1,140,203 and Princess Olympia of Greece at $351,127.

Coming in third on the ranker was Kate Middleton at $335,247.

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Notable royals who also appeared in the report included Meghan Markle at $164,911, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark at $142,253 and Princess Beatrice at $134,545.

Interestingly, there were no men on the list – likely due to the fact they aren't as affected by the societal pressure to wear a different garment and unique design at each public appearance. A suit will usually suffice.

In comparison to other years (where wardrobe costs have also been recorded by UFO No More) Kate spent more in 2022 than any other year. In 2020 she spent $134,636 and in 2021 she racked up a $159,339 bill – likely a lesser number due to various lockdowns.

Interestingly, the number of official engagements remained relatively the same as previous years.

The $335,247 price tag for Kate includes a variety of designer, sustainable label pieces and custom-made gowns.

In earlier years, Kate was revered for her high street outfits – often being immediately snapped up and sold out by keen fashion goers. Who could forget the $90 Zara pleated blue dress she wore when jetting off to her honeymoon. Or the $50 polka dot dress from Topshop that she wore to a press engagement. That one in particular sold out within an hour of the images going live online.

The recent steep cost has been criticised by some, who have pointed out the economic crisis currently occurring in the UK – arguing that the money spent on clothes for royal engagements is perhaps on the nose.

Others have noted that as the Princess of Wales (essentially the Queen-in-waiting) there is a social obligation of sorts placed upon royal women to uphold the 'elite' dress standards that their class has maintained for so long.

Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle. But what's for certain is that Kate is having fun with fashion. And that's something to applaud.

Here's a look back on some of her most iconic outfits in 2022.

Kate in March while on tour of Belize, Jamaica And The Bahamas. Image: Getty.