Meghan Markle's Burgundy Nail Polish at The Fashion Awards 2018 Broke All the Rules

Arm, Beauty, Shoulder, Hand, Performance, Human body, Photography, Elbow, Gesture, Finger,

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 12 December 18

You don't usually see members of the royal family with flashy nails. Prim and polished shades, like pale pink and sheer neutral, are more their style. Queen Elizabeth and Kate Middleton famously love Essie's iconic nail polish in Ballet Slippers (opens in new tab), a quintessential soft pink shade. However, Meghan Markle attended The Fashion Awards 2018 on Monday night donning what appears to be a burgundy polish. This nail color is, well, different for the Duchess.

There's a reason you've never seen Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth wearing a vivid nail color in public. According to People (opens in new tab), it's unofficial royal protocol to stay away from bright nail polishes, because they can be too distracting. The neutral nail color trend within the Royal Family has been a thing since 1989. People also reports that Queen Elizabeth's manicurist specifically requested the Essie nail polish in Ballet Slippers (opens in new tab) because it was the "the only color Her Majesty would wear."

Here's what Meghan's nails looked like last night.

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In the past, Meghan has played it safe with conventional nail shades. Like on her wedding day (opens in new tab), when she wore a sheer pink shade.

Nose, Skin, Hand, Finger, Nail, Close-up, Jewellery, Ear, Neck, Fashion accessory,

And at the Prince of Wales 70th birthday party when she wore a blush pink hue.

Lip, Hat, Beauty, Nose, Chin, Ear, Headpiece, Fashion accessory, Headgear, Mouth,

She went for a super-bare nails that look like a translucent neutral when she and Prince Harry visited Nottingham.

Face, People, Facial expression, Beauty, Smile, Street fashion, Fashion, Lip, Human, Hand,

Markle clearly wasn't concerned about her nails not blending in at the British Fashion Awards. This is a prime example of Markle doing her own thing when it comes to "rules." It's almost 2019, and strict "protocol" when it comes to beauty feels like a thing of the past. I must say, she's very much on trend with winter's most popular nail color, and I vote for more dark nail polish appearances to come.

Are you into vampy burgundy shades, too? Shop these similar nail colors below.

OPI, $11

Essie, $9

China Glaze, $7

ZOYA, $10

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Maya Allen is the former Digital Beauty Editor at MarieClaire.com where she covered makeup, skincare, haircare, wellness, you name it! She has a 15-step skincare routine, owns over 200 red lipsticks, and enjoys testing the latest and greatest in beauty. On most weekends, you can find her at her happy place, which is her makeup vanity. There, she’s usually blasting her speakers while singing along to lyrics at the top of her lungs, and making sure her highlighter is on point.

How Meghan Markle Broke Royal Protocol at The Fashion Awards