Meghan Markle’s Wedding Expected to Boost British Economy by $677 Million

The upcoming May 19th wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry is already making waves.

Similar to Kate Middleton's entrance into the royal family, Markle's arrival is predicted to bring a significant boost to the British economy – to the tune of $677 million.

This estimation comes from Brand Finance, as reported by Forbes, which calculated the expected profits from a surge in tourism, travel, restaurants, hotels, parties, celebrations, and sales of commemorative merchandise related to the royal wedding.

This phenomenon was previously dubbed the Duchess effect or the Kate effect, as anything worn by Middleton and her children would fly off the shelves.

The royal reverberations continue far beyond the months surrounding the nuptials.

In 2015, the Kate effect brought more than $205 million to the British economy, while the Charlotte effect and the George effect translated to over $239 million combined, according to Brand Finance estimates.

However, Markle's impact could be even greater than her future sister-in-law's.

The 36-year-old actress had a surprisingly relatable life before rocketing to global fame, sharing photos of her friends and family, clothes, and travels on her now-deleted Instagram and blog.

Her American citizenship and the few years she spent living in Canada while shooting television drama Suits could expand her global fan base.

Additionally, her style is decidedly trendier and less traditional than Middleton's.

After Markle and Prince Harry's engagement was announced, the couple posed for photos at Kensington Palace in London.

She wore a coat by the Canadian Fashion Brand line, a brand beloved by Canadians but fairly obscure outside the country.

Soon after the brand was identified, its website slowed or crashed for many visitors.

All things considered, 2018 is set to be a banner year for the British royal family, as they are expected to drum up more than $2.4 billion for the country's economy, according to Brand Finance.

Markle's entrance into the royal family is just one piece of this larger economic puzzle.

It's worth noting that the economic benefits of royal weddings go beyond just tourism and commemorative merchandise sales.