Kate Middleton's Bold Easter Fashion Statement Was Something Queen Elizabeth Found Distracting

Kate Middleton made a bold fashion statement on Easter that Queen Elizabeth II may not have approved of if she were still alive.

The 41-year-old Princess of Wales stepped out for a church service Sunday with other members of the royal family, including her husband Prince William, 40, and their three children, 9-year-old Prince George, 7-year-old Princess Charlotte and 4-year-old Prince Louis.

They all donned matching blue ensembles. But Middleton paired her electric-blue Catherine Walker coat dress with a bright red manicure, which stood out against her royal blue clutch, according to People.

The bold manicure was a departure from the princess' usual neutral, nude or clear nails and seemingly broke the late Queen Elizabeth II's "unofficial rule" when it comes to nails during royal events.

Currently, no official rule exists about what color British royal family members can paint their nails, but there is believed to be a general guideline.

"There's no actual protocol about dark nail polish," royal correspondent Omid Scobie told Harper's Bazaar in 2018. "It's simply about being appropriate."

The late monarch reportedly disliked colorful nail polish, finding it distracting. Though bright hues are not officially banned for the royals, Queen Elizabeth II preferred nude colors more as they were more practical for official engagements, per People.

During Queen Elizabeth's reign, she was often spotted wearing her favored neutral nail polish color called "Ballet Slippers" from Essie.

In 1989, the late Queen's hair stylist wrote to founder Essie Weingarten and called the sheer pink polish "the only color Her Majesty would wear," according to the brand's official website.

Middleton isn't the only royal who broke royal protocol on nail polish.

Back in December 2018, Meghan Markle donned black nail polish to match her one-shoulder gown of the same color during her appearance at the British Fashion Awards.

At the time, the Duchess of Sussex was pregnant with her now-3-year-old son Archie, whom she shares with her husband Prince Harry, when she presented the award for British womenswear designer of the year to her wedding dress designer, Clare Waight Keller.

After Middleton was named Princess of Wales following Queen Elizabeth's passing in September last year, Prince William's wife seemingly retired her long polka-dot dresses and entered a new fashion era.

In October 2022, Middleton rocked a bright yellow belted dress while attending an official event at the Royal Surrey County Hospital's maternity unit. She then donned a bright red Alexander McQueen coat layered over a burgundy turtleneck top and paired them with brown suede boots the following month at a rugby match between England and Papua New Guinea.

Before Sunday's Easter service, the Princess of Wales was also spotted wearing a Catherine Walker teal coat dress, a hat and heels of the same shade as well as a Cartier shamrock brooch on St. Patrick's Day.

The British royal family is gearing up for King Charles III's coronation at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6. The Waleses are expected to attend, while Prince Harry and Markle have not yet confirmed their attendance.