Duchess Meghan breaks royal protocol with bold fashion choices
Royal watchers are once again left wondering whether Duchess Meghan has broken royal protocol, as she eschewed some of the unwritten rules at a public engagement this week.
The Duchess of Sussex was seen rocking dark nail polish on her toes and a Roland Mouret gown that showed her bare legs at the premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s new show Totem on Wednesday night. The event was held for Prince Harry’s charity foundation Sentebale.
It has long been reported that women of the royal family are required to wear pale polish and hosiery for official appearances. The tradition is said to originate from Queen Elizabeth II, who always wears flesh-coloured stockings and reportedly finds colourful nail polishes vulgar.
However, royal expert Marlene Koenig said the Duchess was not breaking any rules with her lack of tights.
“There are no rules for royal women regarding pantyhose,” Koenig told BAZAAR.com. “While most women (royal or commoner) wear pantyhose with suits or gowns for a good slim line, it is not required by any decree from the Queen.”
Royal correspondent Omid Scobie also said the Duchess’s polish choice was not an issue.
“There’s no actual protocol about dark nail polish,” said Scobie. “It’s simply about being appropriate – we’d never see this at a royal engagement.”
Scobie also said “there’s a lot more flexibility on what one can wear” for non-royal events.
This is not the first time Duchess Meghan has broken longstanding royal beauty customs. Since joining the royal family, she has also been criticised for styling her hair loosely, using a cross body bag instead of a clutch, wearing a sheer skirt at a public event, taking off her wedges to go barefoot in Sydney’s Bondi Beach and more.
What do you think of Duchess Meghan's royal style? Do you think she's breaking royal protocol? Let us know in the comments below.