Zara Tindall's gothic eyeliner, mini shorts and vampy black manicure for red carpet event needs to be seen to be believed

If there was an award for the most adventurous royal style, Zara Tindall would win it.

The former Olympian has an impressive royal style file, with everything from Cinderella-like dresses to her infamous tongue piercing, her marvellous millinery and impeccable racing fashion dubbing her a leading lady in the style department. 

Rewind to 2015, four years after she tied the knot with England rugby player Mike Tindall, Zara was a guest at the 'Being AP' UK Gala Screening at Picturehouse Central. 

The premiere of the film, which depicts the story of Northern Irish jump jockey AP McCoy as he approaches the end of his final racing season, was attended by several members of the equestrian community including British jockey Victoria Pendleton and the Princess Royal's daughter.

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Rocking a daring all-black ensemble, Zara turned heads at the red carpet event in a fitted black blouse adorned with sheer mesh sleeves.

Amping up the glamour, the royal slipped into high-waisted black shorts, highlighting her toned legs in sheer tights. 

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Adding drama to her look, Zara added patent pointed-toe heels which acted as a continuation of her elegant silhouette.

As for beauty details, the mother-of-three highlighted her ageless features with a heavy black eyeliner and vampy dark manicure - a rare occurrence for a royal lady.

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According to royal etiquette, fake nails or brightly-coloured nails are not appropriate for public appearances. The beauty rule was reportedly a preference of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who only ever let one shade of nail polish grace her fingertips: Essie's beloved Ballet Slippers. 

While royal fans may never see the likes of the Princess of Wales or the Duchess of Edinburgh rocking mini shorts, heavy eyeliner and an edgy dark manicure, Zara does not have any official royal duties, nor does she have HRH status, so there's more laxity when it comes to her personal style expression. 

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Despite being the late Queen's daughter, Princess Anne chose not to give her two children royal titles, in a bid to help them lead more normal lives. 

"I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles," the Princess Royal told Vanity Fair in 2020. "So I think that was probably the right thing to do."

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