We're obsessed with Princess Catherine's deep red nail polish

(Image credit: Getty)

published 11 April 2023

Princess Catherine shunned her usual nude manicure for a deep red shade on Easter Sunday, breaking years of royal tradition.

It has long been reported that royal women are encouraged to wear a nude colour on their nails and avoid bright colours or false nails.
The late Queen famously only wore Essie's 'Ballet Slippers' from 1989 onwards.
In other royal news, King Charles’s surprising coronation dress code breaks royal tradition.

Kate Middleton's nail polish rules have been revealed over the years, with many royal sources claiming that the late Queen did not like female members of the Royal Family to wear bright colours on their nails.

Instead, a nude colour palette was favored by Her Majesty, something Catherine has always stuck to, and many royal fans have been keen to recreate Kate's nude manicure.

Daena Borrowman, a Marketing Manager at Jewellerybox told Express.co.uk last year, “Royal women are not permitted to wear bright or dark nail paint on their fingernails. “Only nude shades, sheer whites and light pinks are allowed. A firm favourite of the Queen’s is Essie’s ‘Ballet Slippers’."

Another royal source added, “fake nails or colour nail polish is deemed vulgar by the Royal Family."

Sarah Gibson Tuttle, founder, and CEO of Olive & June also commented on the beauty protocol. She said, “The Royal Family tends to favor sheer, neutral shades on shorter, squoval-shaped nails. It’s a super-classic, clean look. It looks timeless and royal appropriate."

For Kate's wedding in 2011, she received the ultimate nude manicure from Marina Sandoval, who worked at the Jo Hansford hair salon in Mayfair at the time of the wedding and was also Queen Camilla's manicurist.

Marina revealed that she blended together a special mixture of colors to apply to Kate’s nails, including Bourjois no 28 Rose Lounge, and Essie 423 Allure.

She said, "Catherine wanted something very natural looking and I felt these matched her skin color beautifully. She wanted something off-white and bridal, so these were absolutely perfect. She was very pleased with the result and told me that it looked beautiful and elegant."

However, while Catherine has always adhered to the late Queen's preference for a natural nail, one royal expert actually revealed that there is no official rule that prevents her from wearing other colors - so this could be why she's chosen to mix it up this Easter.

“There’s no actual protocol about dark nail polish,” royal correspondent Omid Scobie told BAZAAR.com in 2018. “It’s simply about being appropriate.”

Catherine teamed her dark red nails with a bright blue dress for the Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle, matching her youngest son, Prince Louis - who made his Easter Sunday debut this year.

Catherine opted for a colorful, blueberry-hued Catherine Walker midi dress coat alongside a matching pillbox hat and clutch. She teamed the dress with a pair of Gianvito Rossi nude suede pumps and a stunning gold and blue set of earrings to complete the look.

Robyn is a celebrity and entertainment journalist and editor with over eight years experience in the industry. As well as contributing regular to woman&home, she also often writes for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman's Weekly and The Sun.