Forty years before the Princess of Wales had her first glittering tiara moment at her royal wedding with Prince William, Princess Anne wore the heirloom Cartier Halo tiara for a formal event in New Zealand.
Traditionally, royal ladies tend to make their first appearance in a tiara at their nuptials, but Anne was an exception to the rule since she was born into the royal family and was over 18 years old.
In a rare departure from her famed bouffant updo, the Princess Royal, then 19, wore her hair in a half-up, half-down style. The roots featured plenty of volume, which perfectly showcased the headpiece, while the ends were curled.
Suzie McGill, Artistic Director at Rainbow Room International, who has over 20 years of experience as a hair educator, exclusively told HELLO! that it was a dramatic, vintage version of a hairstyle that remains popular today.
“Princess Anne’s iconic bouffant is a vintage, voluminous take on a modern half-up, half-down style,” began the hair expert, adding that clients in 2026 prefer a “softer” version. “Not as voluminous and exaggerated, but still adds a classic bouffant/quiff into the style with less teasing. It can be paired with soft, cascading waves, effortless buns and ponytails for a more low-key yet beautiful and understated look.”
While Anne has rarely deviated from her practical updo over the past three decades, Suzie pointed out that she had already begun to develop her comfort zone in 1970. Had the ends been secured up, it would look remarkably similar to her everyday hairstyle now.
“Princess Anne still wears her signature bouffant style to this day, but also wears it a little more delicately – giving her hair a contemporary update whilst still staying true to her sophisticated and flattering, go-to style,” she added.
Hidden details
While royals are famed for appearing effortlessly polished at all times, there would have been some hidden practicalities behind Anne’s beauty look.
Tiaras can pose a problem if they’re not secured into prepared hair, Suzie explained. She recommended dry shampoo and volumising/texturising spray for “initial volume and grit” alongside gentle teasing.
Once the hair is prepped, Suzie said: “You may want to build a hidden structural foundation with a braid that will help hold the tiara in place. Hair pins can also be beneficial to use to help keep the tiara in place before creating your chosen hairstyle and disguising the pins.”
Hair evolution
© GettyEven in throwback photos, Anne rarely wore her long hair loose. While the late Queen Elizabeth’s daughter occasionally debuted a new style, such as her glossy ponytail at the Burghley Horse Trials in 1975 and her curled bun at the Royal Albert Hall in 1971, she has become known for her no-fuss bouffant updo.
She even joked that she had become so accustomed to her daily routine that she could complete her look in under 10 minutes! The confession came after The Crown actress Erin Doherty said it took up to two hours to recreate the look in the Netflix series.
© Tim Graham“Erin came to us with perfect length and colour hair, but not enough of it,” hair and makeup designer Cate Hall told Town & Country. “As you know, Princess Anne had famously thick hair, with a very natural wavy texture through the ’60s and 70s. We created a ‘ladder wig’ which supplements and blends with Erin’s hair beautifully, giving it the kind of volume and texture most of us could only dream of!”
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