Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement, speculation over what the Californian bride-to-be might wear on her big day has been at fever pitch. But no matter which designer the former Suits star decides to opt for, one royal expert has stated that she won’t go for anything more expensive than the Duchess of Cambridge’s 2011 gown. Kate Nicholl explained to Entertainment Tonight: "There have been reports that [Meghan's] considering spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on a wedding dress. I think that's incredibly unlikely. Kate Middleton's dress is rumoured to have cost £250,000. It was her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, who paid for that bill.
Ralph & Russo – who designed the dress Meghan wore in her enagement pictures – are rumoured to be creating her wedding gown too
"I think it is very unlikely that Meghan would spend more than that and in doing so try and upstage a future queen. I don’t think she's going to want to get royal life off to a start where she's criticised for spending something like £400,000 on a wedding dress."
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As for who might design the dress, eager royal watchers have whittled down a list of potential names. Back in February, bookmakers stopped taking bets on which label she'll choose after it saw a surge of punters backing Alexander McQueen. A spokesperson said at the time: "Our traders have been inundated with bets for McQueen to be the designer of Meghan's dress. So much so they've had to suspend the betting. Either someone sneaky knows something, or there's plenty of shrewd punters who are up on their fashion knowledge."
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But now Ralph & Russo, which created the stunning beaded gown Meghan wore in her engagement photos, has emerged as a new potential favourite. Fashion insiders told HELLO! that word is that the British haute couture fashion house has won the style war to create the most coveted wedding dress of the year. If the rumours are true, we could expect a spectacular full gown on the royal wedding day, as the design duo are famous for their intricate and head-turning looks.
Of course, royal watchers and fashionistas won't know until the day which designer Meghan has chosen. The 36-year-old is due to marry her fiancé on Saturday 19 May at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.