Princess Charlotte's Nail Polish In New Photo Debunks A Royal Rule That Just Won't Quit

When you're royalty, there are some rules that you just have to follow. There are all kinds of protocols and guidelines that dictate things like who can fly together and what people should wear. One such rumored royal fashion rule for British royals is that they aren't allowed to wear brightly colored nail polish, only pale pinks and nudes.

However, people are questioning that rumor after Catherine and William, the Princess and Prince of Wales, shared a photo of their daughter, Princess Charlotte, on Instagram for her 11th birthday. If you look closely, you can see that the young royal is wearing trendy blue nail polish, which we would have assumed would be a royal no-no. So, if Charlotte is wearing this purportedly forbidden color in an official photo shared by her parents, maybe there really is no rule regarding nail color, or at least not anymore.

Perhaps the protocol is going by the wayside since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, as it was reportedly the queen who wasn't a fan of flashy nail polish colors. Then again, the protocol could also just be applicable to adult royals, so Charlotte, as a pre-teen, would get more of a pass to have fun with color. Additionally, it may be a hint as to the small ways that Prince William and Kate Middleton could be planning to modernize the monarchy. 

Some people in the comments of the Instagram photo for Princess Charlotte's birthday definitely noticed the nail polish color. As one person wrote, "Loving those [nails]! Iove that they let her be a normal [kid]." Another fan commented, "We usually see her in formal clothes with hair in braids but it's refreshing to see her so normal like any other tween with blue nails." Some people were just like us, noting how time flies and how grown up Charlotte was looking.

Other people pointed out just how much Charlotte looks like her dad. "William with long hair," one person wrote. Even if Charlotte looks more like Prince William, she could be taking after her mom when it comes to gently pushing royal fashion boundaries. While we've never seen her with blue nail polish since she's been married to William, Kate Middleton has worn bright red nail polish. We can't imagine ever seeing Queen Elizabeth wear the color, though Princess Diana also enjoyed the occasional red manicure. It will be interesting to see if this is a subtle sign of things to come from Charlotte as she continues to grow and develop her own personal style within the royal family.