13 Royal Manicures to Copy, from Princess Diana to Meghan Markle and More

We love some good nail inspiration, and while we’re forever quick to check our feeds for new trends and creative design ideas—referencing celebrities and influencers alike—it's easy to forget to look beyond that. But with how much the world loves British royal beauty and style inspo on the likes of Princess Diana, Meghan Markle, and Kate Middleton, it turns out that nails are no exception. While it’s true that most women in the family rock solid neutral nails (due to the widely reported expectation that they keep their nails short and natural looking, and the rumor that Queen Elizabeth II found colorful nails to be garish and vulgar), the royals somehow make this anything but boring. Read on for 13 of our favorite royal manicures of all time, from minimalist masterpieces to looks that dared to push the boundaries.

Princess Diana's Cherry Red Nails

Princess Diana wasn't afraid to break the royal beauty tradition of neutral nails, as she regularly wore a cherry red mani. This was considered fairly rebellious, as the Queen (supposedly a steadfast fan of Essie's Ballet Slippers from the time she first received a bottle in 1989) reportedly prohibited non-natural nails during her rule. But Di was leaning into her newfound independence in the '90s through both street style and beauty choices, and she regularly attended major events—like the Gala Evening in Aid of Cancer Research at Bridgewater House in 1995—with a bright red mani. To recreate her look, try using one of our favorite red polishes, such as Olive & June Nail Polish ($9) in the shade ES or Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail colour in the shade Incendiare ($32).

Kate Middleton's Ruby Red Manicure

Kate Middleton—now the Princess of Wales—generally sticks to neutral manicures, but every now and again she surprises us. Here, she embraced red polish while making her way to the traditional Easter Sunday Mattins Service at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in 2023, pairing it with a blue ensemble for a colorful style moment. Diana would have been proud.

Meghan Markle's Plum Nails

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is another royal who is unafraid to embrace bold beauty statements with her nails. In 2018, she took the stage at The Fashion Awards rocking a rich plum polish bordering on the edge of black—a short, dark look that's become a major trend today. For a similar look, try the Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour ($32) in the shade Oiseau de Nuit.

Princess Eugenie's Bordeaux Nails

Princess Eugenie of York might just be one of the most daring royals when it comes to manicures. Here, she wore plum-toned nails to a 2018 Chanel event at The Serpentine Pavilion in London.

Princess Beatrice's Moody Mani

Princess Beatrice of York is yet another royal who is fond of plum manicures. Here, she rocked the dark, sultry nail shade at the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty fashion gala in 2015.

Zara Tindall's Nude Nails

Zara Tindall, a relative of the royal family, tends to keep her nails neutral, with just a sheer coat of nude polish. Here, you can see her signature short, clean mani at the Cheltenham Festival horse races in 2012.

Princess Diana's French Manicure

Princess Di was also keen on French manicures. Here, she wore the classic nail art to a gala reception and preview of her dress auction at Christie's in London in June 1997. While it’s possible that she simply had gorgeous natural nails with a sheer neutral coat of polish over top, to recreate the look, you can use a rosy nude, milky base (like the Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro Color, $20, in the shade Tiny Dancer) with white polish for the tips. If you don’t have a steady hand, try using the Orly Half-Moon Guides ($6) for crisp tips.

Kate Middleton's Neutral Nails

In September 2023, Middleton showed up to a portage session for her 'Shaping Us' early childhood awareness campaign with her signature nail color: a sheer pale pink reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth II’s go-to color. For a similar look, try the Dazzle Dry Nail Lacquer ($22) in the shade Prima Ballerina.

Meghan Markle's Nude Mani

Markle regularly wears neutral nails, too, but rather than opting for ultra-sheer coats of color, she tends to lean more solid. To recreate the pinkish-white nail look she wore to Princess Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank in 2018, try OPI's Nail Lacquer ($12) in the shade Lisbon Wants Moor.

Princess Eugenie's Cherry Red Polish

Princess Eugenie is also a fan of cherry red nails. Here, she rocked them during a visit to the Teenage Cancer Trust's young persons unit at University College Hospital, London back in 2016.

Meghan Markle's Wedding Manicure

Let us not forget Markle’s subtle yet sweet wedding nails. DryBy London created her romantic mani using one coat of CND Shellac ($16) in the shade Unmasked paired with two coats of CND Shellac in the shade Negligee.

Princess Eugenie's Union Jack Nails

Princess Eugenie is one of the only royals we've seen to embrace actual nail art. In 2012, she rocked a Union Jack manicure while participating in the Nightrider 64-mile charity nighttime bike. Since then, she's donned the patriotic manicure numerous times—to the point that the Union Jack Man stood proudly along her wedding procession route.

Zara Tindall's Black Mani

Since Tindall isn't technically royalty, she can get away with bolder manicure choices at public events. Here, she embraced a jet black mani for the "Being AP" UK Gala Screening at Picturehouse Central in London back in 2015.

Read the original article on Byrdie.