Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Jennifer Newton

Sophie Wessex proves Queen's beauty 'rule' is fake with unusual NY choice

Being a member of the Royal Family often means having to follow strict rules and protocol when out and about in public.

Whether it's having to remember to bow or curtsy or knowing when it's appropriate to wear a hat, royal life can sometimes be hard to navigate.

One long-rumoured rule that royal ladies were said they must follow is that they are not allowed to wear brightly-coloured nail polish.

It had been said that only clear varnish or nude or light pink tones are the only ones that are allowed to be worn on nails.

However, it appears this rule may not even exist - as proven by Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, who is on a four-day solo tour of New York.

Sophie Wessex is currently on a four-day solo tour of New York (Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock)
Sophie wore a dress by Victoria Beckham during one of her engagements (Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock)

During her tour, Sophie has stunned in a number of striking outfits, including a black leather skirt and a stylish dress by Victoria Beckham.

And if you look closely enough, pictures show her nails painted a chic shade of dark red, which goes directly against the supposed royal rule.

Sophie has seen her profile as a royal rise in recent years and has even been described as the Firm's "secret weapon".

Sophie wore a chic dark red polish on her nails (Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock)

Love the royals? Sign up for the Mirror's daily newsletter to get all the latest news on the Queen, Charles, Kate, Wills, Meghan, Harry and the rest of The Firm. Click here to sign up .

During her visit to the Big Apple so far, she has attended a Commonwealth Day reception and even given a speech at a United Nations event aimed at upholding women’s rights in Afghanistan.

Sophie gives a speech on women's rights at the United Nations (Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock)

She told the conference that “life has regressed” in Afghanistan since the Taliban took control in August.

She said that while the world’s attention has turned to Russia ’s invasion of Ukraine, “the crisis in Afghanistan has not gone away and the effects are worsening daily”.

Sophie said: “The Taliban would have us believe that they are allowing citizens to go about their normal activities.

“We know that this is not true.

“So while we welcome their announcement that they have committed to reopening schools to girls this month, and the return of some women to university, what we know is that the rights of women and girls have worsened.”

The 57-year-old is a long-time advocate for women and girls, and publicly committed herself to supporting the UK’s work helping victims of rape, sexual violence and exploitation in war in 2019.

She has also worked to promote women through the Women’s Network Forum, which she founded in 2014 to boost gender balance and equality in the workplace.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.