When royals do straight AND curly hair! Which do you prefer?

These royals like to keep us guessing when it comes to their hair. Whether it’s curls, ringlets, waves or hitting the hair straighteners, meet the royal ladies who like to mix things up in the hair salon.  

Princess Eugenie

Princess Eugenie might prefer a shorter style than her big sister but that doesn’t mean she can’t have a bit of fun. The royal arrived at the Serpentine Summer Party in 2014 with her chocolate locks in a gentle wave, while in 2015 it was a smooth affair as she rocked a neat bob for a New York gala dinner.

The Duchess of Cambridge

Queen of the Blow Dry, the Duchess of Cambridge has worked her glossy mane into a number of different styles: she’s done big, bouncy, billowing curls and straight-down-the-line strands.

MORE: Get more hair inspiration from Kate! 

Sarah Ferguson

The Duchess of York is famous for her ginger locks and she’s not averse to surprising us with them occasionally. While her hair has a natural wave, she’s experimented with extremes, trying out a perm in Canada in 1987 and hitting the hair straighteners for a very 90s ‘do at the 1998 Met Gala in New York.

Lady Kitty Spencer

It seems the chilled-out Australian attitude influenced Lady Kitty Spencer’s hairstyle choice in 2015; she wore her hair in loose, beachy coils. The same can’t be said for this 2018 London premiere when she kept things sleek, shiny and very, very straight.

The Duchess of Sussex

Meghan’s a bit of a chameleon when it comes to hairstyles. These pictures were taken just two weeks apart; in one she’s had her tresses tonged into loose ringlets, while the other sees her with a poker-straight ‘do.  

PHOTOS! Get hair inspiration courtesy of Meghan... 

Queen Letizia of Spain
 

It’s rare to see Queen Letizia of Spain wearing her hair in any way other than her trademark bob (this pic is from 2019) but, for a 2010 wedding, she did trial something a little different, wearing her hair in messy, beachy waves. We’re fans so it’s a shame she’s not tried it again since.
 

Princess Beatrice


Princess Beatrice likes a bit of tong action and often wears her hair in a side parting with loose ringlets. She’s done straight too, often accessorising this simpler style with a fascinator, hat or headband.

TRANSFORMATIONS! The best royal hair colour swaps over the years

The Countess of Wessex

Sophie tends to wear her shoulder-length hair blow-dried straight. But, for the pre-dinner on the eve of Prince William and Kate’s wedding, she was obviously in the mood to celebrate as she added a few curls to create bounce.  

PHOTOS: Royal party hairstyle ideas to inspire your next look

Princess Caroline of Monaco

We’re used to seeing Princess Caroline of Monaco with a straight, bob so we were quite taken aback when, in 2006, she opted for a laid-back style that emphasised her hair’s natural texture.

Princess Charlene of Monaco

Princess Charlene of Monaco might have short, cropped hair but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t like to switch around her look every so often. Though she normally wears it straight, the princess added a ‘50s wave in 2018.

MORE: 12 royals ladies who've rocked a fringe over the years

Princess Diana

Princess Diana tended to blow dry her hair with a wave but in Korea in 1992, she went a step further, letting her head of curls beautifully frame a diamond tiara. Come 1995, she tried something a little more daring, slicking her thick hair into a side parting to make it neat and super-straight.

Princess Madeleine of Sweden

No fly-aways here. Princess Madeleine of Sweden was keeping everything tied back and straight for a New York symposium in 2012. Fast-forward five years and it was all about her big, bouncy curls as she lightened up the mood (and her hair) for a children’s festival on the Southbank.

Queen Rania of Jordan

Queen Rania hit the diffuser in 2015, adding messy curls to her thick, long tresses. It was quite a departure from three months before when she attended a New York Summit with this sharp, no-nonsense hairstyle.

Lady Frederik Windsor

Lady Frederick Windsor looked stunning with her ruffled, bedhead curls for a charity event in Chelsea in 2012. The 2017 Cheltenham Festival, however, was a more formal occasion and needed a hairstyle to match so she kept her hair neat and controlled under a hat.