How Princess Diana Secretly Avoided This Royal Fashion Rule

Apparently, Princess Diana didn't always enjoy following all of the royal fashion rules. For the most part, she did adjust her style sense in line with some royal customs, wearing longer hem lines, more modest necklines, and hats for outdoor events. However, it seems there was one royal rule that she managed to avoid by using a sneaky little styling hack.

According to the Diana's dance instructor, Anne Allan, the princess wasn't the biggest fan of the family's rule about wearing tights—pantyhose are an absolute must in the royal family. As royal expert Victoria Arbiter said to the Express, it was Queen Elizabeth's "only hard, steadfast rule." In her memoir Dancing With Diana, however, Allan explained that Diana once confessed her sneaky hack for getting out of the stockings rule.

When Diana returned from a royal trip to Rome in 1985, Allan noticed a change. "She looked quite tanned, although this was hard to gauge; she had told me her secret of using tanning oil on her legs to avoid wearing tights whenever possible," she wrote.

Of course, while Diana did adhere to many of the royal fashion rules, she also never let go of her own fashion sense—forgoing tights wasn't her only act of sartorial rebellion. After all, her fun, whimsical sweaters, cool girl athleisure, and iconic slip dresses brought the royal family into the 1980s with a bang.

By pushing the boundaries on royal fashion, she also paved the way for more experimental looks from the likes of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle.

Middleton, for instance, has taken a page out of Diana's book by opting for casual looks that, in the past, might have been frowned upon by the family. Meanwhile, Markle broke somewhat from royal tradition by spotlighting new, small brands. Markle also made headlines when she didn't wear tights in her engagement photos.

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