When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement was announced last year, Kensington Palace confirmed that the former Suits actress would be becoming a UK citizen, while retaining her US citizenship in the interim.
The hitch? All Americans are required to pay income tax, even if they reside outside the USA, so any earnings Markle makes from the UK will be subject to US taxes. This means it’s unlikely that she’ll receive any of Prince Harry’s fortune after they get married, as she’ll be asked to pay tax on it.
As Royal Expert Marlene Koenig told the Sun: ‘Even when married to a member of the British royal family, as long as she remains a US citizen she will have to pay income tax. If she has investments in the United States, say for example a retirement plan that she set up, if that's making money, she would have to pay up.
‘This is even on money earned outside the United States. If she receives money from her husband or his family, and that's considered income, she would have to pay income tax on that.’
Markle’s future husband received a sizeable inheritance following the death of his mother Princess Diana in 1997, including half of her £21.5 million estate and a £3.5million annual allowance which he shares with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It is also possible that he receives more money from other royal trusts that we don’t know about, including one from the Queen. Markle is estimated to be worth £3.7 million.
So does this mean that Markle won’t be receiving any money from Prince Harry? Not officially – but we doubt she’ll be strapped for cash…
Scroll down to see who might be Markle's bridemaids...
Meghan Markle's bridesmaids
1 of 6Janina Gavankar
Fellow actress Janina Gavankar has known Meghan for 15 years, with the Suits star recently gushing about their friendship in an Instagram post that read: 'Couldn't be prouder of how far we've come, and couldn't be more grateful for being able to share every step of it with you.' As a long-term pal and as someone in the same industry as her, she's got a good chance of being in the bridal party.
2 of 6Princess Charlotte
As the niece of Prince Harry, it would be a pretty adorable touch if Princess Charlotte was included in the bridal party. After all, she was part of her aunt Pippa Middleton's wedding earlier this year to James Middleton, so it's not like she hasn't had any practice.
3 of 6Jessica Mulroney
As well as being her unofficial stylist, Jessica Mulroney is also one of Meghan's closest friends, after the two met when the actress relocated to Toronto to begin filming Suits. She is heavily present on Meghan's Instagram account, as is her daughter, Ivy, so we think it's highly likely that she'll have a role.
4 of 6Lindsay Roth
The front-runner for maid of honour is almost certainly Lindsay Roth, who chose Meghan for the same role at her own wedding last August. The Suits actress and producer and author have been friends for 15 years, with Lindsay recently telling People magazine that Meghan is 'the same girl I met years ago'. The two met at a Toni Morrison literature class during their first year of college at Northwestern University.
5 of 6Serena Williams
Someone with an outside shot at being Meghan's bridesmaid is tennis ace Serena Williams. Meghan and the Wimbledon-champion have been friends since 2014 when they met at a charity football game. Despite their reported closeness, Meghan didn't attend Serena's own nuptials earlier this year, so it might be that she doesn't have a role at the royal wedding.
6 of 6Priyanka Chopra
Another actress that Meghan is good friends with is Priyanka Chopra, who she met at a dinner celebrating women in Hollywood a few years ago. After Vanity Fair ran their cover story with Meghan pegged to her relationship with Prince Harry, Priyanka defended her friend, saying she was more than just 'Harry's girlfriend'.
READ MORE: Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Engagement: Everything You Need To Know