How Princess Anne’s no-nonsense hairstyle gained iconic status

Sometimes the world can seem as if it’s changing at an ever-more rapid pace, which would be disconcerting if it weren’t for some reassuring constants, sources of comfort amidst the turmoil; Yorkshire tea, roast dinners and Princess Anne’s hair being just a few.

Although I can’t imagine that hair is very far up on the no-nonsense Princess’s list of preferred conversation topics, it has emerged that she briefly addresses the subject of her beguilingly immovable arrangement in a new ITV documentary, which will be broadcast on Wednesday evening. Discussing Netflix’s series The Crown, the Princess remarks on the actress Erin Doherty’s (who plays her as a young woman) claims that it took some time each day to achieve an accurately voluminous look.

'Actually I read an article the other day about the, I don’t watch Netflix and The Crown, but the actress was talking about how long it took them to do their hair like I did,’ Anne says, according to a report in The Times. 'And I’m thinking, "How could you possibly take that long?" I mean it takes me 10 or 15 minutes.'

Perhaps the Princess had been perusing The Sunday Telegraph’s Stella magazine which featured an interview with Doherty ahead of The Crown’s third series last year. ‘The hair takes a solid hour and a half,’ the actress explained. ‘Most of that time is spent backcombing and setting it with hairspray. Sometimes if it’s not poofy enough, we have to use a sponge doughnut underneath to hold it up more. I’m no wiser as to how she actually does hers. It must be pretty solid, as she doesn’t change it much.’

A description for the Princess Royal’s unique hairstyle is as difficult to pin down as one imagines the ‘do itself is. A regal hybrid of a beehive and a chignon, you might say. One of my colleagues offered ‘nest’. Really, it should simply be called a ‘Princess Anne’ because it is a masterpiece inseparable from the woman upon whose head it so neatly and stoically sits.

I cannot find any evidence since 1973 of the Princess having appeared in public without her long brunette locks pulled back in some way. The bouffant had emerged as a go-to some time before that, speaking to the practicality required for young Anne’s equestrian endeavours (she was so good that she represented Britain at the Montreal Olympics in 1976) and the glamour which came with being the Queen’s only daughter. There have been ponytails and fussier up dos along the way, and there is often a little variation in how her hair is secured at the back, but a smooth, bouncy halo effect is always achieved at the front.

I’m not surprised that Anne’s hair is a doddle to do. It’s unimaginable that she’d have time to waste fussing around with endless kirby grips and cans of hairspray, instead it’s probably the pin-and-go appeal which has made her stick with it. In the past few years alone, The Hair has been dependable in the face of tiara moments, country shows, Royal Ascot outings and even London Fashion Week appearances.

Perhaps the Princess Royal took cues from her mother in establishing a hairstyle which has been a steadfast companion from her 20s until now, as she prepares to celebrate her 70th birthday. The Queen, lest we forget, has remained faithful to the same short, neatly curled hair which has provided an instantly recognisable silhouette for stamps and coins (as alluded to in The Crown) throughout her reign.

Both looks are anchored in the decade when they were established; the Queen’s speaks of Fifties ladylike glamour, while Anne’s coiffure epitomises bold Seventies maximalism. On anyone else, such hair might now look anachronistic but the royals’ locks are elevated to a lofty sense of timeless significance.

I can’t imagine that the Princess has ever had cause to meet Anna Wintour or Karl Lagerfeld, but with both fashion industry legends she would find common ground in having established a visual signature which has become iconic. The key to this is not just sticking with it but hitting on a look which really sums you up. For Anna Wintour, her precise, sharp bob speaks of impeccable standards and a high maintenance attitude.

Princess Anne is known as the least fussy and starry, most hardworking member of The Firm, reliable and never courting controversy. it’s only right that she has the hair to match.

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