Finlay sunglasses become the royal crowd’s go-to British brand

The most useful royal style signal right now is not a gown or a handbag. It is a pair of sunglasses that looks easy, polished, and impossible to overthink, which is exactly why Finlay has slipped into the orbit of Princess Kate, Meghan Markle, and the wider royal crowd. The independent British eyewear brand was founded by four friends in 2012, and it has built its image around frames designed in London, handmade in Italy from sustainable Italian Mazzucchelli acetate, and fitted with ZEISS lenses for full UVA and UVB protection. At £160 a pair on the current site, the brand sits in that sweet spot where the price feels considered, not theatrical.

What makes Finlay matter more than a generic royal-style roundup is the consistency of the story. Marie Claire has called it the royally approved sunglass shop, worn by names from Pippa Middleton and Harriet Sperling to Princess Kate and Meghan Markle, with Prince William also in the mix. Finlay does not hide that association, either. Its product pages and blog keep royal sightings at the center of the brand identity, turning each appearance into part of the label’s language rather than a one-off celebrity flourish. That is how a pair of sunglasses becomes a cultural signal instead of just another accessory.

Henrietta is the polished cat-eye the royals keep returning to

Henrietta is Finlay’s cat-eye silhouette, with squared, upswept corners that give the face a little lift without tipping into costume. Finlay says it is the style most notably worn by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, and also by Meghan Markle, which tells you everything about its range: it is sharp enough for a royal appearance, but quiet enough to disappear into daily dressing. In the current collection, it is also priced at £160, which keeps it in the same accessible-premium lane as the rest of the line.

Wear Henrietta when you want sunglasses to do the work of jewelry. The cat-eye shape sharpens softer features, frames the cheekbones, and looks especially good with a crisp blazer, a silk shirt, a fitted dress, or anything with structure at the shoulder. It has the sort of polish that works with a red lip and a trench coat, but it is restrained enough for a linen shirt and straight-leg jeans, which is why it reads as royal, not costume-y.

Percy is the easy everyday frame with the cult following

Percy is the softer, more approachable side of the Finlay story. The brand describes it as a timeless panto shape with a spacious keyhole bridge, and calls it its most versatile style and bestselling shape because it suits most face shapes. Meghan Markle wore Percy at the Invictus Games in Toronto in 2017, in a white shirt and jeans, and Finlay says the style sold out overnight after that appearance. Her pair was even engraved with her initials, MM, on one arm, which is the kind of detail that turns a simple frame into a story people remember.

Percy is the better choice if you want one pair that slips easily into real life. The rounded frame softens sharper features and keeps tailoring from feeling too severe, while the keyhole bridge gives the face a little lift without the harder lines of a square frame. It is the sunglasses equivalent of a white T-shirt that always works: clean with denim, right with a trench, good with striped knits, and especially strong when your outfit already has enough shape on its own.

How to choose the royal version that feels most like you

• Choose Henrietta if your wardrobe leans polished, your jackets are structured, or you like a frame that adds definition the second you put it on.

• Choose Percy if you wear a lot of denim, trenches, linen, and relaxed tailoring, or if you want a frame that feels a little softer on the face.

• If you have rounder or softer features, Percy gives contrast without heaviness. If your face is more angular, Henrietta adds lift and a cleaner line.

• If you want sunglasses to play the starring role, Henrietta does that. If you want them to blend into the outfit and still look expensive, Percy is the quieter win.

The reason Finlay has held onto this momentum is that it is not just a branding exercise. The company expanded into physical retail, with a Notting Hill store that opened in 2019 and a Soho store, and both locations offer eye tests, contact lens checks, prescription lenses, and personal styling. That matters because it turns the royal halo into a real business built around fit, service, and repeat wear, not just a photo opportunity. The brand’s move from a royal sighting to a proper eyewear destination is what gives it staying power.

The royal lesson here is simple. Finlay works because it offers two shapes that are easy to understand, easy to wear, and easy to repeat, which is exactly what most wardrobes need. Henrietta gives you that lifted cat-eye edge; Percy gives you the softer, face-friendly panto shape. In a market crowded with loud sunglasses that ask for attention, Finlay’s smartest move is the opposite: frames that fit a life you will actually live, and still look good when the photographs start flying.