15 Facts About Kate Middleton’s Impressive Net Worth

Although her lifestyle wasn't as lavish as it is now, Kate was living quite well when she got engaged to Prince William. Her net worth at the time reportedly was estimated to be roughly $7 million, which is not too shabby for someone not attached to the royal family.

Kate was a cute 4-year-old when her mom, Carole Middleton, founded Party Pieces with her husband, Michael. Carole was frustrated that she couldn't find adorable children's party supplies in town and decided to take matters into her own hands. Now, Party Pieces is worth about $40 million and sells supplies for parties for adults and children.

Michael Middleton's family was part of Britain's "landed gentry," not nobility, but upper-class, aristocratic families who owned land and by and large did not have to work for income. (Must be so nice!) Many of Kate's paternal ancestors were lawyers and solicitors, so she definitely comes from some type of wealth.

Kate's grandfather, Peter Middleton, was a pilot (he apparently flew alongside Prince Philip back in the 1960s) who left an $800,000 estate when he died. The money was split among his family, leaving Kate's father with a $130,000 inheritance. It's a modest sum compared to the family's current wealth, but that chunk of change likely made it easier for the Middletons to start their successful business.

Before they built their families and their royal cred, Kate and her sister, Pippa, lived large in a three-bedroom, two-story flat in the heart of London's Chelsea neighborhood. Their parents purchased the apartment in 2002 for $963,000, and sold it for $2.3 million in 2019. (That's a handsome profit.) Since the apartment was an investment in the Middleton sisters' lifestyle, perhaps mom and dad shared some of the gains with Pippa and Kate as they started a new phase in their lives.

Kate does have some business experience through her parents' company. She also worked as an accessory buyer for Jigsaw, a British clothing retailer whose styles Kate has worn frequently. Reportedly, Kate got along well with her coworkers and worked on photo shoots and other duties. She was already dating William, so it would have been easy for her to coast on her royal association.

Given some of her duties at Jigsaw — which included running errands and getting snacks for photo shoot crews — we wouldn't expect Kate's salary as an assistant buyer to have been high. According to Glassdoor, an average salary for a buyer in London is about $39,000. Sounds about right for most entry-level positions of this type. Fortunately for Kate, she didn't have to worry about working her way up the ladder or fighting for raises.

With a cool $7 million upon marrying into the family, she acquired a couple million more through real estate and royal jewels. As it happens, expenses for royal duties are largely paid for by taxpayers, so Kate has been sitting pretty on her family's nest egg ever since becoming a royal.

Thanks to inheritances from Princess Diana and the Queen Mother, William's accounts are far larger than Kate's. His net worth reportedly totals about $100 million. This makes him the fourth wealthiest member of the royal family. Only Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and King Charles have more wealth.

With their fortunes combined, Kate and William probably aren't making a huge dent in their bank account, especially considering their many living expenses are funded by the Duchy of Cornwall, which William inherited when Charles became king. Interestingly, the estate pays for the royals' clothing, including all of Kate's amazing looks.

The luckiest kids we knew growing up got maybe $5 or $10 for a weekly allowance. (That's a few hundred dollars for the year.) Before Charles became king, Kate, William, and Harry received about $6.5 million annually from the Duchy of Cornwall to pay for their royal activities. Let's see, that works out to about $125,000 each week — about $40,000 per royal. Pocket change!

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Harry and William received Princess Diana's jewelry collection after she died, and both Meghan and Kate have worn some of the exquisite pieces. Kate's engagement ring belonged to Diana, and it alone is estimated to be worth about $500,000 today. In addition, Kate's favorite tiara, the Lover's Knot, also belonged to Diana and is estimated to be worth between $2 million and $4 million.

The "Kate effect" is real. With every new outfit — even her recycled outfits — the Princess of Wales inspires people around the world to try to emulate her style. The British economy is definitely bolstered by Kate's mere sartorial existence. It's estimated that Kate adds more than $1 billion to the fashion industry in the UK alone.

The Duchy of Cornwall is a vast estate with around 53,000 hectares (nearly 131,000 acres) of land in 23 counties. Established by Edward III in 1337, it generates incomes through commercial management of its land and properties, as well as an investment portfolio. When Charles became king, William and Kate took over asset management, and that meant much more money for the Waleses.

When Kate and William acquired the assets in the Duchy of Cornwall, their net worth skyrocketed by more than $1 billion. The estate continues to generate an eight-figure income each year. In 2022, the Duchy of Cornwall grew in value by more than $26 million. Cha-ching!