Royal Fashion 'Rules' That Are Actually Totally False

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Anyone with even the smallest interest in royal fashion will have encountered the supposed clothing guidelines royal families around the world must follow. However, it turns out some of those 'rules' are nothing more than fancy falsehoods. Brittany Provance, editor-in-chief of the Royal News Network, exclusively tells Women.com there is no official set of instructions for queens, princesses, duchesses, et al to follow. That means when the late Princess Diana seemingly refused to follow royal fashion rules, she maybe wasn't being as rebellious as we once thought.

However, there is some loose direction that the likes of Kate Middleton (aka Catherine, Princess of Wales) and Queen Camilla (aka Queen consort of the United Kingdom) are encouraged to abide by. "We can see this reflected in the outfits that they choose, which tend to be timeless, elegant, polished, modest and fashionable, without necessarily being trendy," Provance tells us. "The monarch changing also tends to result in fashion adjustments. The Princess of Wales' fashion has changed from mostly dresses and coat dresses to many more suits and trouser separates since the death of the late Queen Elizabeth," she adds of Middleton's stunning style transformation. But if you thought only married royals can wear tiaras or they don't ever repeat their outfits, you'd be wrong.

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, seemingly started speculation royals weren't allowed to attend events wearing the same color as Queen Elizabeth II. Or other senior royals for that matter. She made the claim on "Harry & Meghan" in 2022 after stepping down as a working member of the royal family. "So I was like, 'Well what's a color that they'll probably never wear?' Camel? Beige? White?" she said (via Town & Country).

However, Brittany Provance dismissed Markle's take. "Members of the royal family can wear the same color as the queen, but you may notice that they like to coordinate the color scheme or at least avoid clashing too severely with anyone with their choice," she exclusively explains to us. Provance points out that Markle proved an exception to wearing colors that complimented the shades of her fellow royals though. "[She] who wore olive green to Prince Louis' obviously blue and ivory themed Christening. It's hard to not notice Meghan clashing when compared to the other royals and the Middletons," Provance says.

We've seen a few occasions where a senior royal dressed in a very similar color to the monarch. In 2019, Queen Camilla (then known as the Duchess of Cornwall) was dressed in light blue while sitting alongside Queen Elizabeth II, who also wore light blue, in a carriage at Royal Ascot. Equally, Middleton wore a royal blue coat and fascinator for an Easter church service in 2023 that was almost the exact same shade as Queen Camilla's coat and fascinator.

One of the ways Kate Middleton's life changed after she married Prince William was being allowed to wear one of the royal family's tiaras. But it turns out being a Mrs isn't always necessary for her fellow royals to get their hands on the prestigious and very expensive headpieces. "Royals in Europe ... tend to wear a tiara for the first time after their 18th birthday," Brittany Provance exclusively tells us, noting Princess Anne (Queen Elizabeth II's daughter) wore multiple tiaras before she got married. Provance also confirmed that Catharina-Amalia of The Netherlands (The Princess of Orange), Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, Princess Elisabeth of Belgium (Duchess of Brabant), and Princess Isabella of Denmark were allowed to wear tiaras while they were legally single.

"Even women who weren't born royals, who married into royal families wore a tiara from the family's collection before their wedding," Provance continues. "As was the case with Queen Maxima of The Netherlands and Queen Mary of Denmark. It is at the discretion of the family," she adds. It seems the British royals prefer to stick to tradition though, as Meghan Markle also wore her first tiara on her and Prince Harry's wedding day.

It's not uncommon to see royals in expensive designer clothing. A quick glance at Kate Middleton's pricey outfits prove she's no stranger to fashion with a high price tag. But although she regularly wears the likes of Ralph Lauren and custom Alexander McQueen, assumptions royals only wear designer pieces aren't true. "Many royals, especially The Princess of Wales, like to include a mix of high street and designer fashion that makes them look regally appropriate and yet also approachable at the same time," Brittany Provance tells us, exclusively. "The tightrope that royals must walk is that they must look good and appropriate, but at the same time does not seem like they're breaking the bank with every outfit," she adds.

Provance does have a point. She also highlights the stark difference between Queen Letizia of Spain's wardrobe (which she often repeats) and items worn by Princess Charlene of Monaco. Queen Letizia has been known to step out in classy but attainable pieces and even wore a Zara dress priced at around $47 to the 2023 Retino Eco Awards. Princess Charlene though gravitates toward much more expensive pieces, like the Ralph Lauren gown she wore to the Princess Grace Awards 2017, which retailed for $10,000.

Provance also shut down chatter the royals don't rewear their clothes like us mere mortals. Even Queen Elizabeth II was known to recycle her outfits, though it was claimed in "HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style" (via Business Insider) she would only wear the same look out in public a maximum of three times. After that, it would be re-worked or only worn in private.

The royal family has an impressive collection of hats and fascinators, but, despite speculation, there aren't any hard and fast rules about when they should be worn. That was evident before the passing of the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. "I've ... seen reports that you must wear a hat in the presence of the queen, but we do have royals who have not worn hats while Queen Elizabeth is wearing a hat," Brittany Provance exclusively shares with us.

In 2013, for example, the now Queen Camilla was spotted with Queen Elizabeth at a Riding Centre. Queen Elizabeth wore a structured, red hat, but Camilla's head was bare. We also saw Meghan Markle with the late monarch at the opening of the Mersey Gateway Bridge in 2018. Queen Elizabeth wore an eye-catching green hat with a floral addition, but the Duchess of Sussex didn't wear any headwear. "It all depends on the occasion and what is being officially requested by Her Majesty," Provance explains.

It's long been speculated that female members of the royal family can't wear dark nail polish or nail art. Marie Claire U.K. cited a since deleted 2017 report from OK! Magazine that claimed royals should only be seen in public with natural looking manis. That appeared to stem from Queen Elizabeth II only ever wearing light pink shades. Nail artist and Essie's global lead educator told Metro the monarch was a fan of Essie's Ballet Slippers, the same shade Middleton wore on her wedding day.

But all that chatter about royal ladies being discouraged from experimenting with their nails is baloney. The royals have worn some chic nail colors over the years, proving there's nothing stopping them adding fun to their hands. Middleton had bright red nails while attending a 2023 Easter service and Princess Eugenie (Prince William and Prince Harry's cousin) even wore Union Jack nail art for her grandmother's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. 

Spicy manicures aren't limited to the British royals either. Princess Alexandra of Hanover (aka Grace Kelly's granddaughter) was snapped at Milan Fashion week in 2025 with red nails. She also had different designs on each finger (including a glitter accent nail) on Instagram that same year. So much for subtle shades only.