For the first Easter since Queen Elizabeth II’s passing last year, Kate Middleton wore bold nail polish, a move that would (probably) make the traditional monarch cringe—or at least do a double take.
For Easter Sunday, the Princess of Wales wore a cobalt blue coat dress and matching fascinator to honor the occasion. All of her children wore shades of blue, too. She paired the bold spring look with an even bolder accessory of sorts: a bright red manicure.
Per The Sun, royal etiquette strictly prohibits royals from wearing nail polish in bold colors, and encourages skin-tone shades for official events. “It needs to be skin-colored so hot red and bright pink, for example, are not correct, especially for official occasions and particularly during mourning,” an etiquette expert told the outlet in 2022. “So it’s either translucent or dusky pink–so that would basically be the color of your nails so it looks natural.”
Save for a few instances of light PDA with Prince William at public events, including the BAFTAS butt pat in February and the hand-holding at the No Time to Die premiere in 2021, Kate Middleton is one to follow the rules, so this is quite a surprise. But the move is also indicative that things are already changing under the reign of King Charles III, whose coronation is next month. In contrast, Queen Elizabeth II appeared to strictly follow royal protocol, and reportedly expected everyone in the family did so as well. With a new king, it looks like the royal family is really letting loose.
