According to nail polish behemoth Essie, Queen Elizabeth is a devotee of Essie Ballet Slippers and it is has been her go-to polish for 28 years.

Apparently the Queen's hairdresser wrote a letter to nail polish guru Essie Weingarten in 1989 asking for a bottle, and the rest is history.

This pitch-perfect pale pink shade is the Queen's favourite nail accessory and also her her daughter-in-law Kate Middleton's: she wore it on her wedding day back in 2011. Essie describes it as "a classic pale pink polish graced with a subtle sheer finish". (We love it worn with three coats to give it an opaque density and topped up every second day with a topcoat to give it longevity.) Here's how to get the look.

Nail file

Cuticles Don't cut them; always push them back. You can do this in the shower using a face cloth or washer. 

Filing A file is the only thing you should use to shape your nails. If you cut them, you run the risk of trimming off too much length and leaving little room for fine-tuning the shape. Always file your nails in one direction starting at the outer and working your way around. Using a sawing motion - back and forth – will fray your nails and cause your nails to peel at the tip.

Paint prepping Your nails should be squeaky clean with no residue, including hand cream. Nails need to be clean as a whistle so the polish will adhere. Use a tissue with acetone nail polish remover to erase any oil.

Pro tip "Don't forget to paint the tip," says manicure guru Jocelyn Petroni , If you don't the manicure will start to chip. And always reapply a long lasting topcoat to get the greatest longevity out of your polish. Two of our favourites are Vinylux Top Coat and Dazzle Dry.

Gluggy polish If you are down to the dregs and your polish has started to clag get some more mileage out of it with O.P.I Nail Lacquer Thinner

The other royal nail polish devotee, Princess Mary, embraced a traditional French manicure for her wedding day. This nail look has to be carried off with a large degree of precision and in our eyes the finer the tip (in fact the term wafer thin springs to mind) the better. Otherwise nails can end up looking clumpy and unrefined. Sorry Mary.

Update the French manicure

The French tip dates back to the 18th century and some of my colleagues argue that it should have stayed there. The key to getting the original look right is to have the finest tip possible preferably done by a professional with a steady hand. I distinctly remember embracing a resurgence in the late 80s at the hands of the mistress of the manicure Christina Fitzgerald. It all began with a pencil thin tip of opaque white polish followed by a coat of translucent pink and then translucent white.

The latest runway creations feature everything from rose petal decals to fluoro neon tips to our new favourite the fishnet designed by @me_julielee.  

Start with a bare clean nail, then use a nail stencil to get the crosshatched design. Once dry, paint your tips white and finish with a clear base.