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Princess Diana's hairstylist talks about which look the royal was 'nervous' about trying

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The Duchess of Cambridge is said to be "unsure" about the fringed hairstyle she opted for earlier this year, but it seems she isn't the only stylish royal to have had doubts about a makeover. Celebrity hairstylist Sam McKnight revealed that when he worked with Princess Diana, she was "a bit nervous" when he suggested she wear her hair in a slicked back style – which would later become one of her most iconic looks.

princess diana© Photo: Getty Images

Princess Diana with slicked back hair at an event in New York

"She was a bit nervous about the slicked back appearance," he explained to The Telegraph. "Like many women, she used to hide behind her hair. But she looked her best when she didn't do anything to it."

Despite the immense popularity of Diana's hair – women around the world dashed to the nearest hair salon to recreate the look – Sam revealed that the mother-of-two would occasionally try and change the look.

"Sometimes she'd go off and have a sneaky perm when I wasn't there," he admitted. "We used to laugh about it together afterwards."

There's no doubt that Prince Harry and Prince William's mother made waves with her gorgeous blonde locks – and she was often spotted stepping out with heaps of volume and sleek styles that firmly established her as one of the biggest beauty and style icons.

dian© Photo: Getty Images

Sam revealed Diana would sometimes prefer a permed style

Sam revealed that the elegant royal was still always open to new ideas regarding her look – particularly the first time the pair ever met. "She said, 'What would you do if I gave you free reign?'" he reminisced. "I said, 'Cut it short', and she said, 'Could you do it now?'"

Working closely with Diana for seven years, Sam admitted that he sometimes felt she didn't need a hairdresser, because her locks always looked so chic even when she didn't style them.

"I once said to her, 'What would be great is if you didn't have me coming to do your hair all the time, because when you come out of the gym it looks so good,'" he confessed.

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