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.
