For the royal family’s first Easter since the passing of the late Queen Elizabeth II, the Princess of Wales shied away from tradition with a bold fashion move.
The British royal family arrived at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on Sunday 9 April ahead of the first Easter Sunday service of King Charles III’s reign. The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived at the chapel with their three children, all wearing coordinating blue outfits.
Prince George, nine, was seen looking dapper in a navy blue suit and tie, while his younger sister Princess Charlotte wore a navy blue overcoat with light blue tights underneath her floral dress from the British label, Rachel Riley.
The family outing was also the first time Prince Louis had attended the Easter service. To mark his debut, the four-year-old royal wore blue shorts and knee socks with a navy blue blazer and tie. Last year, only George and Charlotte were present at the Easter celebration.
Meanwhile, Princess Kate stunned in a cobalt blue Catherine Walker coat dress she previously wore to last year’s Commonwealth Day Service. She accessorised the blue look with a matching pillbox hat and handbag. However, it was her bold red manicure that turned heads.
Although women in the royal family are allowed to wear nail polish, they’ve typically steered clear from colourful or distracting nail colours. While it’s not official royal protocol, the late Queen Elizabeth II allegedly preferred skin-tone shades for official events, with Essie’s neutral “Ballet Slippers” shade being her personal favourite.
“It needs to be skin-coloured so hot red and bright pink, for example, are not correct, especially for official occasions and particularly during mourning,” etiquette and protocol consultant William Hanson told The Sun in 2022. “So it’s either translucent or dusky pink – so that would basically be the colour of your nails so it looks natural.”
Shortly after she married into the royal family, Meghan Markle caused a stir when she donned black nail polish while attending the British Fashion Awards in December 2018. The Duchess of Sussex, who was pregnant with Prince Archie at the time, presented wedding dress designer Clare Waight Keller with the Womenswear Designer of the Year Award while wearing a Givenchy Haute Couture black dress and matching egglant-coloured nails.
This year’s Easter service was full of firsts for the royal family. Not only was it Prince Louis’ debut, but it was also the first since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. In less than one month, King Charles III will be coronated alongside his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort. The coronation will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey in London.
