Most Expensive Royal Family Inspired Christmas Gifts From Dior to Cartier

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Christmas is a time for giving, and when you're a member of Britain's wealthiest and most famous family the rule still applies.

While many may presume that the royals of the House of Windsor are exchanging diamond tiaras and summer residences beneath the Christmas tree, accounts reflect a far different scene, with the royals unexpectedly opting for gag gifts over ostentatious gestures.

Through the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle biography Finding Freedom we were given a glimpse into what gifts the royals really share.

At her first Christmas, for example, Meghan gave Prince William a novelty spoon with the words "cereal killer" engraved on it, and Harry reportedly gave his grandmother—the queen—a shower cap embroidered with the words: "Aint life a b****" (which she loved.)

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip Christmas
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip photographed with Christmas tree at Windsor Castle, December 1969. Bettmann/Getty Images

Kate Middleton is known to make her presents, giving members of the family jars of homemade chutney one year.

While the royals themselves may opt for the less valuable but sentimental gift exchange, royal fans can let their imaginations run wild at Christmas time with perfectly regal wish lists.

Here, Newsweek runs down some of the priciest holiday gift ideas for your favorite royal obsessed fan.

Lady Dior Handbag

One of the most iconic royal accessories entered public consciousness courtesy of Princess Diana in 1995 and has been at the top of many a monarchist and fashion fans' wish list ever since.

While on a visit to Paris, Princess Diana was presented with a special present from the wife of the French President Jacques Chirac, in the form of a handbag from the house of Christian Dior.

The bag was a special prototype design of small handled bag in black quilted leather and gold hardware named the 'Chouchou' ('pet' in English) presumably for its petite size. The princess loved the bag, and wore it during an official visit to Argentina later that year.

The princess had another custom variation of the handbag in blue material to match her eyes which she wore to the 1996 Met Gala.

Princess Diana Lady Dior Handbag
Princess Diana photographed on a visit to Argentina with her Lady Dior handbags, November 1995. Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

The bag became so synonymous with the princess that after her tragic death at the age of 36 in 1997, Christian Dior renamed the bag the "Lady Dior," after the royal's maiden name of Lady Diana Spencer.

In November, Dior re-released the design which Diana owned and wore to the Met Gala in the year that marked the 25th anniversary of her death.

Price: From €5,000 ($5,311)

Cartier Tank Watch

Another of Princess Diana's favorite accessories was her classic Cartier Tank watch of which she is reported to have owned a number of variations.

The princess began wearing the watch in gold in the 1990s and after her death was inherited by her sons.

Meghan Markle is also a fan of the tank design and has been photographed wearing her own model as well as Princess Diana's which was, according to reports, the Française model.

Price: From £22,300 ($26,922)

Princess Diana Cartier Tank Watch
Princess Diana photographed in London wearing her Cartier Tank watch, April 21, 1997. Antony Jones/UK Press via Getty Images/Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

Range Rover

The British monarchy is well known to have one of the greatest collections of vintage cars in the world, a number of which have been used by King Charles following his accession to the throne, including the state Rolls Royces.

Many of the younger royals have been seen in various models of Range Rover cars, including Prince William and Kate Middleton. The late queen also favored Land Rovers and Range Rovers while driving around her country estates.

In March, William and Kate were seen arriving at an event in a brand new 2022 Range Rover SUV, with a six figure price tag. The car's 4X4 off road capabilities make it the perfect option for the royal fan hoping to ride in style and speed enjoyed by the future king and queen.

Price: From £94,000 ($113,559)

Kate Middleton Range Rover
Kate Middleton photographed emerging from a 2022 model Range Rover at an event in Aldershot, March 17, 2022. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Jenny Packham Evening Gown

For those who want to dress like royalty they need look no further than one of Kate Middleton's favorite designers to find the perfect holiday gift.

The princess has been wearing British-based designer Jenny Packham since the early days of her marriage and has recently been seen in a number of the label's striking evening gowns at important events such as the state banquet at Buckingham Palace in November.

Kate's pieces are custom to fit her perfectly and with small alterations to make them more modest or to add grandure, so their exact costs are not publicly known.

The ready-to-wear variations of these designs do however give some idea.

The dress worn to the state banquet earlier this year was a variation of the label's Elspeth gown.

Price: £4,219 ($5,096)

Kate Middleton Jenny Packham
Kate Middleton photographed wearing a Jenny Packham evening gown to the state banquet at Buckingham Palace, November 22, 2022. Chris Jackson/Getty Images/Victoria Jones - Pool / Getty Images

Antique Diamonds

The royals are well known to have some of the worlds most precious gemstones in their vast jewelry vaults, collected by centuries of the monarchy's most famous magpies such as Queen Mary and Queen Alexandra.

If vintage diamonds are your thing to bring a touch of glamor and glitter to your royal fan's life then a trip to London's best jewelers may be in order.

Bentley & Skinner is an emporium with a vast catalogue of historic jewels and recently offered for sale a $17,000 diamond brooch which turned up recently being worn by Kate Middleton.

From tiaras to earrings the true test of a royal pedigree is the age of their family jewels.

Queen Elizabeth II Diamonds
Queen Elizabeth II photographed wearing an array of royal heritage jewels during a visit to Germany, June 24, 2015. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Custom Embroidered Shoes

For the male royal watchers out there, an accessory beloved by the future king, Prince William, made headlines earlier this year when he wore them to a film premiere, outshining Tom Cruise.

At the Top Gun: Maverick premiere in London in May, William gave a nod to the movie's famous fighter pilot protagonist—and his own Royal Air Force experience—by wearing a pair of custom evening shoes from the British label Crockett & Jones.

The shoes were a rush order from the palace and featured tiny embroidered fighter jets on the toe boxes which were picked up by eagle eyed fans on social media.

Price: from £750 or $1150.

Prince William Custom Shoes
Prince William photographed wearing custom shoes to the "Top Gun: Maverick" premiere, May 19, 2022. Samir Hussein/WireImage

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.

About the writer

James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family and royal fashion. He has covered contemporary and historic issues facing King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, the late Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana. James joined Newsweek in 2022 having previously contributed to titles such as The Lady, Majesty Magazine and Drapers. He also spent a number of years working with the curatorial department at Historic Royal Palaces, based at Kensington Palace, and contributed to the exhibitions Fashion Rules: Restyled (2016) and Diana: Her Fashion Story (2017). He also undertook private research projects with the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection. He is a graduate of University College London and Central Saint Martins, where he studied fashion history. Languages: English.

You can get in touch with James by emailing j.crawfordsmith@newsweek.com.


James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more