Meghan Markle breaks a royal fashion rule – the moments, the real protocol, and what experts say. Clear dates and sources for a fast, reliable read.
A single bare shoulder at a state parade, a slick of dark nail polish on a London stage – and the rulebook chatter ignited. Meghan Markle’s off-the-shoulder dress at Trooping the Colour on 9 June 2018 and her dark manicure at the British Fashion Awards on 10 December 2018 became two of the most-cited examples of a supposed royal dress code breach.
Here is what happened on those dates, what the long-standing etiquette actually covers, and which parts are custom rather than hard rule, as reported by reliable sources including The Telegraph, Vogue, People and Debrett’s.
Trooping the Colour 2018: Meghan Markle’s off-the-shoulder dress
On 9 June 2018, at her first Trooping the Colour after the royal wedding, Meghan Markle wore a pale pink, off-the-shoulder Carolina Herrera dress with a Philip Treacy hat. British outlets immediately flagged a debate about shoulders at daytime royal ceremonies. The Telegraph noted the neckline stirred protocol questions the same weekend it appeared (The Telegraph, 10 June 2018). Vogue chronicled the look the next day and set the fashion context for the choice (Vogue, 11 June 2018).
Etiquette guides continue to shape expectations. Debrett’s, the long-running British authority on manners, describes daytime royal dress as polished and modest, with hemlines and necklines kept appropriate for the setting (Debrett’s, etiquette guidance). That is guidance, not statute.
The visual set-up matters too. Trooping is a formal military parade marking the monarch’s official birthday, with televised balcony moments and thousands lining The Mall. A dress that reads festive in a summer wedding context will look bolder on a palace balcony. That contrast fueled headlines, then social media cycles amplified them hour by hour.
British Fashion Awards 2018: dark polish and a one-shoulder gown
Six months later, on 10 December 2018 at the Royal Albert Hall, Meghan Markle presented “British Designer of the Year – Womenswear” to Clare Waight Keller of Givenchy. She wore a one-shoulder black Givenchy gown and dark nail polish. People magazine underlined that senior royals have historically preferred neutral nails for official engagements, a convention widely linked to Queen Elizabeth II’s long-time choice of soft pink shades (People, 10 December 2018).
Harper’s Bazaar reported the same evening that the surprise appearance crowned an industry night focused on designers and craft, not court protocol (Harper’s Bazaar, 10 December 2018). The context was fashion-first, not state.
The result was a repeat of the summer pattern. Photos circulated within minutes, then commentary framed the manicure as a breach. Yet there is no published royal rulebook banning dark nails. Etiquette experts point to tone, occasion and the host’s expectations as the deciding factors, rather than a blanket prohibition.
Royal dress code: what is rule, what is tradition, and how to read it
There is no official, public compendium titled “Royal Dress Rules”. The BBC and established etiquette sources have long said that royal style evolves through precedent, palace staff guidance and event invitations, not rigid law (BBC reporting on royal protocol, multiple years). That is why similar silhouettes can pass without fuss at one event and spark scrutiny at another.
Debrett’s frames the principle simply: match the formality and the host. Daywear leans refined and conservative. Eveningwear allows more drama. Neutral nails and hosiery read classic at formal daytime functions, while black tie opens the door to bolder choices. None of this definetely equals a legalistic rule.
Dates clarify the picture. The off-the-shoulder moment: 9 June 2018. The dark polish: 10 December 2018. The specifics matter because protocol is context-driven. A military parade with the monarch on parade ground calls for stricter day dress. A fashion industry ceremony invites directional styling. Sources that documented these shifts – The Telegraph, Vogue, People, Harper’s Bazaar, Debrett’s – align on that baseline.
A practical way to read future appearances follows that logic. Look first at the invitation or setting – parade, service, garden party, charity gala, awards night. Then consider time of day and level of formality. That lens explains why a bare shoulder at Trooping generated heat while a one-shoulder gown at a fashion award felt aligned with the room, even if the manicure drew headlines. It also explains why protocol stories surge online: a small styling decision becomes a proxy for a larger debate about tradition versus modern public life.