Nail Polish Colors The Royals Are Forbidden From Wearing
If you think the nail polish rules are strict at private schools, then think again. The royal women are known to follow a pretty strict set of grooming rules most of the time. Even with a large budget for style and beauty — Kate Middleton gets $37,728 per year — it seems like it must be difficult to conform their appearance to the acceptable standard (via Yahoo).
One of the most noticeable rules is that royals are not allowed to wear bright nail polish colors. Apparently, Queen Elizabeth finds them to be "vulgar" (via Insider). That means she, Middleton, and for a time, Meagan Markle, had to wear nude or taupe polish colors, and avoid unnatural-looking colors (via Business Insider).
It's also been noted that the royal women love Essie's $9 nude nail polishes with Middleton's favorite pick being Allure. The Queen's favorite shade is Ballet Slippers.
The truth is in the details
Even though Ballet Slippers — which due to the Queen's blessing, a bottle sells every two seconds — is a very soft pink, nearing on a shade of nude, it is still an exception to the Queen's own rule by being a color (via Cheat Sheet). It's actually been a staple nail polish for the Queen since 1989, when her hairdresser requested the now-iconic shade on behalf of her Majesty. This isn't exactly the only exception to the rule either.
Though the royal women have extensive beauty guidelines they adhere to, there is a loophole that many mere civilians overlook. Apparently, the natural-looking nail polishes and other royal protocols must only be followed for state occasions. But, even at other events, most royals shy away from bright hues, and especially fake nails, since the Queen dislikes them (via Southern Living).
Besides, the former Duchess of Sussex wasn't the first to break protocol and choose a dark, trendy shade for her manicure. Marlene Koenig, a historian and writer for the blog, Royal Musings, explained, "Diana wore it, Catherine's worn it. Royals around the world have worn it."