The Royal Wedding last year had immense curiosity value and not for the British subjects alone but for visitors from across the world. Some hard numbers and figures have been released now to reaffirm this fact. The Royal accounts have been released and the Royal Collection, which is the charitable foundation supported by the Royal family of Britain has some very impressive figures to show. Helped by the hype built around the wedding of Prince William and Kate, anything and everything to do with the Royals has become a money spinner. However the most stunning fact revealed in the accounts is that £10million was collected by Royal Collection through sale of entry tickets to view Kate Middleton’s wedding dress which was amongst the most expensive wedding dresses and which went on display for 73 days at Buckingham Palace last year.
The Royal Wedding has Been Beneficial for the Foundation
Jonathan Marsdon, The CEO of the Royal Collection is on top of the world and has put it down in writing, “The marriage of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in April 2011 provided the best possible start to the year.” The dress worn by Kate for the wedding last year was made by Alexander McQueen designer Sarah Burton and it became the main attraction for the unprecedented number of visitors to the annual summer opening of the palace. The dress was viewed by 626,678 people during its 73 day display. The diamond earrings given to Kate by her parents and the Cartier “Halo†tiara borrowed from the Queen were also on display along with the wedding dress.
The Kate Effect on the Royal Finances
This is truly the ‘Kate effect’ on the royal family’s finances. The Royal Collection’s income has lumped many times from £8.5 million to £50.2 million in 2011/12. The marriage of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is being credited for giving a boost to the retail activities during the year. Over 190,000 items of wedding-related merchandise valued at £4 million were sold. A bulk of this merchandise was sold through RC’s own shops including the online shop. Their online store was redesigned and re-launched and has achieved a significant growth in sales. The Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty has also given a boost to the sale of commemorative merchandise.
Via: thedailybeast
