Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Culture
    2. Celebrity News
    3. Royal News

    Kate Middleton and the Queen are never seen wearing this one beauty product

    Apparently it's against the 'official' dress code

    Lucy Pavia's avatar
    By Lucy Pavia
    Published 17 October 2017 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    kate middleton
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Apparently it's against the 'official' dress code

    You might already be familiar with the fast-selling fashion and beauty staples Kate Middleton swears by. There's the set of (mostly) British designers she regularly calls on for one-off appearances or tour wardrobes, the classic square clutch bag she's rarely seen without and the catwalk beauty trends she channels in real life.

    We also know the Queen is also no slouch in the style department, whether she's throwing shade with her 'Brexit' hat or giving us vintage fashion inspiration with her style file.

    queen hat

    (Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))

    But there's one thing you're very unlikely to ever see the Queen or Kate Middleton ever sporting - other than leather chaps, embellished Crocs or a Sex Pistols teeshirt - and that's colourful nail varnish.

    According to OK! Magazine, royal sartorial rules dictate that only natural-looking nails can be worn to official events. The Queen herself has been wearing the same £7.99 shade of nail polish since 1989, a polish Kate also wore on her wedding day in 2011.

    You may like
    • Autumn Nail Trends 2026 From Fawn Print to Milky Matcha—These Are Autumn 2026’s Defining Nail Trends
    • Halloween nail art by Betina Goldstein There is a Way to Make Halloween Nails Ultra Chic—And Fashion’s Favourite Nail Artist Betina Goldstein Can Prove It
    • Celebrity Handbags Everyday Handbags are Stealing the Spotlight—These are the 9 Styles Celebrities Including Rihanna and Kaia Gerber are Championing

    kate middleton

    Credit: REX

    The Duchess has continued the trend for neutral nails since marrying into the Royal family. But though she generally wears a closed-toe shoe, she has been known to flash a bit of red pedi when she goes for a strappy sandal (wild).

    Interestingly, during her first official appearance with Prince Harry at the Invictus Games last month, Meghan Markle paired her ripped jeans and teeshirt look with a natural manicure, so perhaps she's also been picking up some royal dress code tips.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    There's probably a WhatsApp group...

    Lucy Pavia
    Lucy Pavia
    Social Links Navigation
    Read more
    Autumn Nail Trends 2026
    Nails From Fawn Print to Milky Matcha—These Are Autumn 2026’s Defining Nail Trends
    Halloween nail art by Betina Goldstein
    Nails There is a Way to Make Halloween Nails Ultra Chic—And Fashion’s Favourite Nail Artist Betina Goldstein Can Prove It
     
     
    Celebrity Handbags
    Shopping Everyday Handbags are Stealing the Spotlight—These are the 9 Styles Celebrities Including Rihanna and Kaia Gerber are Championing
    Personality Dressing
    Fashion Bored of Beige? Personality Dressing Is the One Thing All the Most Stylish Women Have in Common
     
     
    Latest in Royal News
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Isles of Mull and Iona
    Royal News Royal Experts Predict a Major Milestone From Princess Kate This Autumn
    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Colombia
    Royal News Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Had a Secret UK Home in the First Year of Their Marriage
     
     
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit Southport
    Royal News Prince William Has Given an Emotional Update on Princess Kate
    The Prince and Princess of Wales attend a state visit by the President of the French Republic in 2025
    Royal News Why Prince William and Princess Kate ‘Won’t Change" Their Minds on the Buckingham Palace Situation
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Grey Blending hair colour trend
    Hair Grey Blending Is Changing the Way We Colour Our Hair—Here’s Everything You Need to Know
    XERF treatment review
    Skincare I Tried XERF, the Skin-Tightening Treatment Everyone Is Talking About—Here's My Verdict
     
     
    AI relationships: Woman lying in bed at night, looking at her smartphone while seeking relationship advice from a chatbot.
    Relationships AI Knows All Our Relationship Problems. Is That an Issue?
    Health freelancer Georgia Brown hiking in Korea
    Wellbeing I Tried Korea’s Approach to Stress for Seven Days—Could It Help My Permanently Switched-On Brain?
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.