Getty Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle married Prince Harry on May 19 at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The American actress played the role of Rachel Zane on Suits. She left acting behind for a life in England, and has become a member of the royal family upon becoming Harry’s wife.
Markle moved from Toronto to London and has been living with Harry in Nottingham Cottage. Rumor has it, the two will soon move to Apartment 1 at Kensington Palace; a less-than-modest home that consists of a whopping 21 bedrooms.
Megan Markle Net Worth: $7 Million
Megan Markle’s net worth is $7 million, according to an estimate by Metro UK. In slight contrast, Celebrity Net Worth estimates Markle’s net worth at $5 million. Meanwhile, Prince Harry has an estimated net worth of $25 million, Wealth-X told CNN Money.
After the couple is wed, Markle, 36, will likely be given the title Henry of Wales. Queen Elizabeth II bestowed upon Harry a dukedom, as she did for Prince William after he married Kate Middelton. Markle will now be referred to as HRH Duchess of Sussex.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. She May Not Combine Finances With Prince Harry Right Away
According to royal expert Marlene Koenig, Prince Harry and Markle may hold off on combining their assets.
“If Markle and Harry open a joint bank account, their financial information could be open to scrutiny by U.S. regulatory bodies because Markle is a U.S. citizen, according to Ryan Ellis, former tax policy director at Americans for Tax Reform. For that reason, the couple will probably keep their finances separate unless Markle decides to gives up her U.S. citizenship,” reads an excerpt from TIME’s Money magazine.
After they are married, however, they will become one of the most elite couples in the British monarchy. According to Newsweek, Markle “will benefit from her future husband’s rumored net worth of $40 million.”
Prince Harry inherited money after his mother, Princess Diana, died. That sum of money — said to be around $13 million — was placed in a trust fund and was given to Harry on his 30th birthday, according to Fortune.
2. Markle Earned the Majority of Her Income From Hollywood
Markle played the role of paralegal Rachel Zane on Suits. She had been on the show since 2011, earning upwards of $50,000 per episode, according to KnowNetWorth.com. Her character served as the love interest for one of the show’s main characters, Mike Ross, played by actor Patrick J. Adams. Markle appeared as the fiery law student in 108 episodes of the show, over the course of seven seasons, between 2011 and 2013.
In addition to her role on Suits, Markle has collected handsomely for other roles throughout her career.
“Meghan collected $187,000 from Remember Me while she received $171,429 from The Candidate, followed by $153,846 from The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down. She takes more than $50 thousand dollars for playing a single episode. Her estimated yearly salary or income is around $450,000, which also includes around $80,000 worth of annual sponsorship/endorsements income,” KnowNetWorth.com reported.
Markle’s page on the Internet Movie Database lists 30 acting credits, among them TV movies, feature-length films, shorts, TV guest starring roles and recurring roles.
She appeared on NBC’s Deal or No Deal and even started her very own fashion and lifestyle blog called The Tig. She shut the site down after embarking on a new life journey with Prince Harry.
3. She May Soon Be Living in a 21-Bedroom Home
Markle has moved from Canada to London, and has been living with Prince Harry at his home at Nottingham Cottage. The modest 2-bedroom home has been more of a bachelor pad for Prince Harry, who has been staying there for the past few years.
It has long been rumored that Harry and Meghan will move into a larger space after they tie the knot. There have been several reports that the two are set to move to Kensington Palace. According to Harper’s Bazaar, Apartment 1 at Kensington Palace features 21 bedrooms. Yes, you read that right.
Apartment 1 was once home to the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, but they moved out last year, “supposedly to make way for the newlyweds,” the site reports. There have been some renovations conducted over the past few months in hopes of making the home a bit more Markle.
“Earlier this year came the first hint that Harry had chosen Apartment 1 when a line of fir trees was planted to obscure the view of the apartment’s entrance from the public walking up and down Kensington Palace Gardens, a road 100 meters to the west of Kensington Palace where some of London’s richest people live – including Tamara Eccleston and Roman Abromavich. Sources say that in recent days Meghan has taken out her beloved dogs for a walk in the green which is now obscured from public view behind the trees,” the Daily Mail reports.
The newlyweds will have some familiar neighbors if they do take up residence in Apartment 1; Prince Harry’s brother, William, and his family reside in Apartment 1A.
4. Her Cleave & Company Engagement Ring Is Said to Be Worth Approximately $60,000
On Monday, November 27, Meghan Markle showed off her newest piece of jewelry: A three-stone diamond ring that her husband-to-be helped design. She and Prince Harry posed for photos at Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden, after announcing their engagement, Markle proudly showing off her new bauble.
The ring was crafted by British jewelers Cleave and Company. It features three stones; the center stone is from Botswana and appears to be about three carats and is cushion cut. The two stones flanking the center diamond once belonged to Prince Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana. The diamonds are set on a yellow gold band — Markle’s precious metal of choice.
The vice president of strategy and merchandising at Brilliant Earth, Kathryn Money, told Time Money that Markle’s ring appears to contain a total of 6.5 carats, with the center stone being “roughly 5 carats.”
Personal and celebrity jeweler George Khalife told Heavy that a ring like this would retail for around $60,000. The value of the ring could be even higher, especially if the diamonds used to create it were “perfect” on the “4C” chart.
“While the royal family will never release the exact cost Prince Harry paid for the ring, any expert asked also agrees that this particular ring – market value, carat weight, cut, clarity and color aside – is priceless given its place in history and its use of diamonds that once belonged to Princess Diana,” reports Harper’s Bazaar.
5. The Royal Wedding Will Cost Close to $700,000, But the Royal Family Will Foot the Bill
The Royal Wedding cost a pretty penny, but Meghan Markle and her family didn’t have to foot the bill. As is tradition, the royal family picked up the tab for the couple’s big day, which could cost upwards of $700,000, according to London-based wedding planner Aimee Dunne.
“As was the case with the wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Royal Family will pay for the core aspects of the wedding, such as the church service, the associated music, flowers, decorations, and the reception afterwards,” Kensington Palace announced in a statement following the engagement.
Aside from the aforementioned items, there are a few things that Markle may have had to pay for on her own. Her wedding dress is one of those things.
“My sources tell me that Meghan wants to make a contribution to the wedding,” author Katie Nicholl told Good Housekeeping. “She’s a feminist and a wealthy and independent woman and the fact is that pretty much all of the wedding costs are being picked up by the royal family,” she added.
According to Time Monday, Kate Middleton’s family paid for her custom Alexander McQueen gown.
