Royal life comes along with plenty of protocol that dictates everything from traveling with heirs to what royals can and can't eat at official functions. But one so-called beauty rule Queen Elizabeth had over the years wasn't actually a rule at all—even if tabloids might have fans convinced otherwise. While the late Queen held a strong preference for natural or very pale pink nails, there was no hard-and-fast regulation that other women in the family couldn't wear colored polish.
However, it was still rare to see senior members of the family sporting anything but barely-there shades of nude or pink on their nails, including Queen Elizabeth's longtime favorite shade, Essie Ballet Slippers. Princess Kate, for example, stuck to Queen Elizabeth's example, so when Meghan Markle took the stage at the 2018 British Fashion Awards, her ultra-dark nails made waves.
While negative articles claimed the duchess had "broken protocol" with her black mani, the truth is, Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson routinely wore red polish in the late '80s and early '90s. Princess Eugenie is also a fan of a fun manicure and has worn colorful designs on her nails to multiple royal events, and Zara Tindall has shown off shades ranging from teal to black.
Rule or not, it's still of note that the Princess of Wales waited until Queen Elizabeth's death to show off a bright red manicure for the family's 2023 Easter service. But in recent years—even before the late Queen died—more royal women have been playing with nail trends than ever before.
Below, get inspired by seven of the Royal Family's best colorful manicure moments.
Princess Diana, 1992
Princess Diana was seen showing off lipstick-red manicures even before her separation from Prince Charles, like she did for a 1992 performance of Verdi's opera "Otello."
Sarah Ferguson, 1989
Diana wasn't the only royal who loved a red nail; the Duchess of York showed off a scarlet manicure while visiting Canada for an official royal tour with Prince Andrew in 1989.
Princess Kate, 2023
Decades later, the Princess of Wales would get in on the red nail action for the Royal Family's 2023 Easter service. And while it was the first time Princess Kate had worn anything but a pale, natural color on her fingers, she'd actually shown off red polish on her toes at several red carpet events over the years.
Meghan Markle, 2018
Meghan Markle made plenty of headlines when she attended the 2018 British Fashion Awards in a (gasp!) one-shouldered dress and (double gasp!) deep burgundy nail polish that appeared almost black. While critics claimed that the Duchess of Sussex was breaking some unspoken royal fashion rules, reporter Omid Scobie told Harper's Bazaar at the time, "There’s no actual protocol about dark nail polish. It’s simply about being appropriate—we’d never see this at a royal engagement."
He added, "tonight’s event is a celebration of fashion and there’s a lot more flexibility on what one can wear."
Zara Tindall, 2019
Zara Tindall also got in on the black polish action later that year, matching her mani to her coat as she watched mom Princess Anne's horse compete at the Cheltenham racecourse.
Princess Eugenie, 2012
Perhaps the most risk-taking member of the Royal Family in terms of nails, Princess Eugenie has embraced designs like Union Jacks and even reindeer over the years.
Duchess Sophie, 2020
Often described as one of the late Queen's favorites, Duchess Sophie has remained dedicated to serving the monarchy. However, she's never been one to shy away from making a fashion statement—even if it departed from her beloved mother-in-law's preferences. Here, she's pictured wearing gray polish while visiting a children's hospice in February 2020.
