Hey big spender: How Meghan Markle's royal wardrobe tots up compared to Kate Middleton's

Since Meghan Markle received her official title as the Duchess of Sussex, the world has kept a close eye on her wardrobe choices.

Over the past few months we've seen a sartorial shift to suit her new role and Meghan's new wardrobe has been kitted out with neutral hues, clutch bags and, most notably, head-to-toe designer ensembles.

One can't help but compare and contrast Meghan's luxe wardrobe to that of Kate's during her first few months as a royal in 2011.

The Duchess of Cambridge quickly became known for her thrifty ways, championing high street brands such as Zara, Reiss and L.K Bennett, not to mention her knack of recycling outfits. In contrast, Meghan has delved straight into the haute couture designs of Givenchy, Dior and Oscar de la Renta.

Let's take a closer look...

First... appearance as a member of the royal family

The Duchess of Cambridge wearing Reiss, £175

The Duchess of Cambridge's first official appearance as a member of the royal family took place at Buckingham Palace in May 2011.

The newlyweds returned from their honeymoon to meet US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. For the occasion, Kate chose to stick to her favourite high-street brand, Reiss, wearing the brand's cream 'Shola' dress, which retailed for a very modest £175.

The Duchess of Sussex wearing Goat, £590

Meghan also opted for a nude-coloured frock for her first outing as a duchess, which took place just days after the royal wedding at The Prince of Wales' 70th Birthday Patronage Celebration held at Buckingham Palace.

Meghan's dusty pink dress was by one of Kate Middleton's favourite brands, Goat. The polished number retailing for £590, a reasonable price tag by Meghan's standards.

First... day at the races

The Duchess of Cambridge wearing Reiss, £675

For her second royal appearance Kate attended Epsom Derby, making her racing debut alongside the royal family.

For the sporting event Kate wore a white dress, once again by Reiss. She paired the floaty £195 number with a structured £479.99 jacket by yet another British high street store, Joseph.

Her outfit was also finished off with L.K Bennett heels and clutch bag.

The Duchess of Sussex wearing Givenchy, £3,000

Meghan also wore a white dress for her royal racing debut. Arriving at Royal Ascot in June, Meghan donned a white shirt dress by her wedding dress designer, Givenchy. And, much like her royal wedding dress, the adorned frock was also bespoke, a quick glance on Givenchy's site showing that a similar, but more casual style, is on sale for £2.510.

Add the intricate lace detail and custom fit and you're looking at at least £3,000. And, that's not even including the Givenchy belt, clutch bag and Balenciaga shoes.

First... solo outing with the Queen

The Duchess of Cambridge wearing L.K. Bennett, £520

The Duchess of Cambridge didn't have her first engagement with the Queen until almost a year after she and Prince William tied the knot.

Kate accompanied Her Majesty and Prince Philip from Kings Cross St Pancras to Leicester for a full day of engagements as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee tour in 2012.

Continuing her penchant for the high street, Kate wore a teal peplum two-set by British brand L.K.Bennett. The look was made up of a £225 'Davina' dress and £295 'Jude' peplum jacket.

The Duchess of Sussex wearing Givenchy, £5,000

The Duchess of Sussex, however, only had to wait a matter of weeks before she carried out her first royal engagement with the Queen.

Meghan accompanied the 92-year-old monarch to Cheshire, wearing a fitted cream dress and coordinating cape for the visit.

The ensemble, once again, was a custom-made number by Givenchy, the brand confirming: "The Duchess of Sussex wore a custom made Givenchy Haute Couture outfit."

That 'haute couture' label definitely adds to the price tag, and the dress is estimated to cost upwards of £5,000.

First... wedding guest look

The Duchess of Cambridge wearing Zara, £29.99

For her first wedding guest look in 2011, for the nuptials of close friends Sam Waley-Cohen and Bella Ballin, Kate proved her skills for recycling items (and high street shopping), restyling a monochrome Zara dress she had worn out on the town with her sister in 2007.

Kate continues to champion the high street store to this day, and, as all keen Zara fans know, this dress from the 'Zara basic' range probably cost around about £29.99.

The Duchess of Sussex wearing Oscar de la Renta, £3,922

Meghan Markle's first wedding guest ensemble was a far cry from basic.

Meghan and Prince Harry attended the wedding of Diana's niece, Celia McCorquodale, to George Woodhouse just four weeks after their own nuptials.

For the occasion, Meghan donned a striking blue and white floral maxi dress. The daytime dress was from luxury fashion house, Oscar de la Renta, retailing for £3,922. To be fair to Megs, she did offset the look with a £29.50 fascinator from Marks and Spencer.

First... overseas tour

The Duchess of Cambridge wearing Erdem, £2,148

For The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's first overseas visit they went on a 12-day visit to North America.

As they stepped off the plane at their first stop, Ottawa in Canada, Kate stunned in a lace navy blue dress. The cocktail dress was by Erdem and was definitely on Kate's higher end of the spectrum, retailing for £2,148.

The Duchess of Sussex wearing Givenchy, £1,905

Meghan and Prince Harry recently completed their first overseas visit as a married couple to Ireland.

The former actress arrived in a fittingly green ensemble by Givenchy, which consisted of a £1,105 patch pocket pencil skirt and coordinating top, which would have cost between £700 and £1,000.

Final tally:

The Duchess of Cambridge = £3,548

The Duchess of Sussex = £14,417

We'll just have to see if Meghan will inherit Kate's love of the high street and outfit recycling.