When Princess Anne discovered the chignon, she never turned back. At 73, the Princess Royal's signature wrapped bun hairstyle has become synonymous with her unmistakably elegant aesthetic - and it's remained unchanged for over 40 years.
Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter can rarely be seen without her raven hair neatly coiffed into a balletic up-do. Much like the Princess' unfussy approach to fashion, her perfectly preened hairstyle is both practical and chic.
It has served the Princess Royal since the 1980s, acting as her suit of armour during her military career, her go-to for royal engagements and most importantly, the perfect base for a glittering tiara.
© GettyRewind to the swinging 60s and psychedelic 70s, however, when the It-girl royal was in her late teens and early twenties, and Princess Anne's rarely-seen natural hair was often worn down.
From curling her glossy brunette locks to experimenting with half-up, half-down beehives, the Princess Royal loved to show off her waist-length hair in her younger years.
Princess Anne's glossy locks, 1968
The Princess Royal wore her hair down to attend the Horse Of The Year Show in Wembley in 1968, rocking a half-up, half-down hairstyle to accompany her mod-girl mini skirt.
© James Gray/Daily Mail/ShutterstockBouncy curls and ballgowns, 1969
On a ritzy evening in Claridge's, the Princess styled her chestnut brown hair in bouncy curls and swept her tresses away from her face.
© Bill Cross/Daily Mail/ShutterstockRarely-seen beachy waves, 1970
The sporty royal let her natural, thick hair fall into beachy waves when she joined her late father, Prince Philip, for a sailing trip on board the Yeoman XVI.
© Monty Fresco/Daily Mail/ShutterstockCare-free curls, 1971
The 70s appeared to be Princess Anne's care-free era, as she often let her flowing brunette locks, which fell to her shoulders, to fall loosely round her face.
Here, the mother-of-two is pictured in Norway, lapping up the sunshine and letting the wind whip her golden brown hair.
© Bill Cross/Daily Mail/ShutterstockVa-va-volume, 1971
Whatever hairspray Princess Anne was using in the 70s, we need some. The trend-setting royal was one of the first to debut impossibly voluminous blowout curls, later followed by Princess Kate, who debuted her modern take on the It-girl hairstyle in 2023.
© Bob Aylott/Daily Mail/ShutterstockHoneymoon hair, 1973
By the mid 1970s, Princess Anne was already flirting with the chignon style - which was a variation of her elegant wedding hairstyle when she tied the knot with her first husband, Lieutenant Mark Phillips in 1973.
Occasionally, she let her natural hair flow loose, like in this photo from her honeymoon in the West Indies.
© Tim GrahamThe Princess Anne ponytail, 1975
The ever-practical Princess Anne clearly has a penchant for keeping her hair up. In the mid 70s, the royal could often be seen rocking a sleek, low ponytail, letting her healthy thick mane fall down her back.
© Fairfax Media ArchivesThe Rapunzel moment, 1982
Back in 1982, a then 33-year-old Anne was pictured leaving the 2UE building in North Sydney after being interviewed by radio presenter John Laws.
The Princess Royal styled her hair in an elegant half-up, half-down style. While the top of her hair was pinned into its usual, voluminous beehive quiff, the back revealed a surprisingly luscious mane that fell to just above her waist.
