11 of the royal family's most controversial beauty moments
Is that lipstick protocol ma'am?
If there's one thing The Crown has taught us, it's that being a member of the royal family is tougher than it looks, with all kinds of hoops to jump through - especially for female members of the family like Kate Middleton, (and Meghan Markle, before she decided to step down from royal duties with Harry).
Just picture the scene. One day, your biggest beauty concern is whether you want to pair your statement bold lip with a winged eyeliner or a smokey eye. The next, you're issued a gigantic list of, ahem *guidelines* relating to what exactly you're allowed to do with your face and hair - not to mention your fashion choices.
...And that's before even getting onto wiiiild-sounding classes royals need to take before embarking on duties (including... staged kidnappings?).
In the past couple of generations of royals we've had our fair share of protocol breaking, from Princess Diana sporting blue eyeshadow against her makeup artist's wishes (and Meghan later following suit like a total legend), to Kate Middleton being rumoured to have opted for baby botox (a claim that was later debunked by a palace rep).
And though Kate Middleton has begun to shake things up with a slightly more modern look (particularly with her hair she's even tried The Rachel and super beachy blonde waves!), rules are rules. Let's get into the absolutely bonkers regulations the royals must follow, and the controversial moments when those roles were ignored.
Meghan's glossy rebellion
It's customary for royals to stick to nudes and pinks when picking out a lipstick, and so when Meghan stepped out in this gorgeous berry gloss, experts speculated that she might have been sending signals to the royal family. It wouldn't be the first (or the last) time she made a badass statement with her glam choices.
Kate's wedding hair
Look, even the Duchess of Cambridge is a bit sassy sometimes. And on her wedding day, of all days, can you BLAME her?
Long story short, according to royal reporter Ashley Pearson in the documentary William & Kate: The Journey, Kate was advised to opt for an updo for her big day...Advice which she politely declined, raising them one half-up, half-down, cool gal style. Express yourself, K-Mid.
...speaking of which - Meghan's too...
Ok, so Meghan kinnnnd of stuck to the rules when it came to her own wedding hair, actually going for the sanctioned updo vibes. And for the record, I'd like it to be known I have the utmost respect for her loyalty to the fuzzy chignon (AKA messy bun), even on her internationally-broadcast wedding day.
But Twitter was, unfortunately, gripped with fury about that strand of hair which worked itself loose, casting a shadow on her forehead in the dramatic lighting of St George's Chapel.
Can we please give the woman a break? Jeeez.
Princess Diana's blue eyeliner
The People's Princess. The original royal radical. The... blue eyeliner fan?
In a 2017 interview with Yahoo! Beauty, her makeup artist Mary Greenwell admitted to actually talking her out of wearing the color. "I think beiges and browns are just so much prettier. Simple as that," she said.
Kate's magical post-birth makeover
So, we're agreed that Kate Middleton is basically a machine at this point, right? So it should be no surprise to anyone that she managed to step out into public to present her new little one, looking absolutely impeccable, just 7 hours after giving birth. (We're talking blow-dry, full-face, 360 glam, less than a day after creating literal human life).
The move had its critics though - with lots of commenters up in arms, complaining that Kate and the family were setting unrealistic standards for new mothers.
That time Meghan went all '90s on us
Meghan Markle's also been known to flout makeup 'guidance' during her time as a royal.
A personal favourite moment was this shimmery cobalt look paired with falsies - something she wore to attend the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey with Prince Harry.
Meghan's dark nail polish
When it comes to royal manis, toned-down shades are sort of a rule of thumb (no pun intended). So, when Meggstepped out in this beautiful one-shoulder number, pairing it with super moody nail polish shade (looking like an iconic gothic queen, I might add) - she was definitely flouting royal protocol.
This look is such a mood that I feel we can let her off though, right?
That time Kate skipped a pedi
Everyone loves looking groomed - especially in the nail department - and for many of us, a pedi is a once-in-a-while treat before heading off on holiday. For royals, however, a pedicure is seemingly obligatory if your toes are on show - meaning this picture was, for some reason, considered a big deal. Didn't hear anyone complaining about Wills' feet however 🧐...
Meghan's post-lockdown hairstyle
Ok, so, Meghan debuted her incredible Rapunzel hair after the announcement she'd be stepping down from royal duties, so this one's a grey area. But while Duchesses are usually expected to opt for a bouncy blow-dry or an up-do, Meghan wore her hair LA-style: flowing, layered and absolutely gorgeous.
Baby Botox-gate
First things first: what people do with their faces is up to them. But when you're Kate Middleton, things get a little more complicated.
When Munir Somji, chief medical officer at the British Dr. Medi Spa clinic seemed to post before and after pictures of Kate, rumours were abound that she'd treated herself to some baby botox (...er, big deal?). Anyway, the Palace literally issued a statement debunking the claim. 🤷♂️
All those times HRH reapplied in public
The Queen is a big fan of her lipstick, and is never one to be caught with a faded pout or bleeding lip-line. And, much like Kylie and Kris Jenner (America's own royalty) can famously apply their liner on the go without a compact, HRH has also perfected mirrorless application - much to the delight of nearby photographers.
It's pretty normal to see the Queen sneakily whipping out her lipstick during a quiet moment - but such a rare glimpse of insight into her personal grooming is always a big deal.
Kate on the vital royal duty that puts her on edge
Kate's necklace on solo outing had a special meaning
Louis looks so cheeky in his new birthday portrait
Queen Elizabeth II's memorable moments in pictures
