Kate and Prince William tied the knot in April 2010 and the day was filled with special royal customs, from the sprig of myrtle in her bouquet, to her Welsh gold wedding ring. However, when it came to her bridal look the Princess of Wales is said to have pushed back against a long-standing royal tradition.
She wore the late Queen Elizabeth’s glimmering Cartier Halo Tiara in her glossy brunette hair, but she swerved wearing her hair up. Instead, the Princess went for a half-up, half-down style with soft waves.
According to Hello!, royal reporter Ashley Pearson previously alleged in the documentary, William & Kate: The Journey, that Kate was "strongly" encouraged towards an updo.
"Royal sources tell me that the royals indicated very strongly to Kate that they would prefer her to wear her hair up for this very special occasion," she claimed.
Ashley supposedly added, "Kate had her heart set on wearing her hair down with long flowing curls, which is her favourite way to wear it and actually William's favourite as well."
Ultimately, despite the reported suggestions, Kate went for a compromise between an updo and her preferred loose hairstyle. Although it’s not understood to be a strict must-be-abided-by rule, it is traditional for royal women to wear their hair up on their wedding day if the length allows for this.
Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, Princess Eugenie and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex all went for fabulous updos for their big days. Even Zara Tindall, who had her signature blonde bob when she tied the knot with Mike Tindall in July 2011, wore her tresses in an elegant chignon.
The Princess of Wales’s choice of a half-up, half-down look was gorgeous and ended up being the perfect bridal look to complement her diamond-encrusted headpiece. If she’d kept her hair completely loose it might have been trickier to secure this in place.
James Pryce, colleague to Richard Ward whose salon was in charge of styling all of the Middleton family's hair, revealed that it was "sewed" into her hair.
"We came up with a unique concept for securing it. We backcombed the top to create a foundation for the tiara to sit around, then did a tiny plait in the middle and sewed it on," he said, as per The Telegraph. "I've never seen anything like it in my life."
In recent years we’ve seen the Princess wear several other spectacular royal tiaras to State Banquets and receptions. On most of these occasions she’s worn her hair up and nowadays Kate is more of a fan of this elegant, traditional style.
Fashion stylist Miranda Holder previously expressed her belief to woman&home.com that the senior royal’s style has "evolved" along with her royal role.
She said, "The previous soft tumbling curls are more reminiscent of the younger Kate in her formative royal years.
"Kate has evolved, so has her role, and so has her hair. The up-do symbolises a more serious, assertive and confident side of Kate, and whilst incredibly flattering, depicts a more professional image for the Princess."
Although the Princess of Wales still wears her hair down for almost all her royal engagements during the daytime, her updos do feel very polished and appropriate for more formal occasions and visits.
