Princess Anne's 10-minute beauty trick has stood the test of time but she wasn't the first glamorous royal to try it

Princess Anne's 10-minute beauty trick to complete her signature style has stood the test of time but throwback photographs show she wasn't the first glamorous royal to try it. 

• The Princess Royal has previously revealed that her signature hairstyle takes only between 10-15 minutes to achieve herself at home.
• Princess Margaret has also favored this pulled-back look a lot and she and her niece couldn’t look more similar or elegant.    
• This royal news comes as Kate Middleton revealed the surprising way she stays fit and it doesn't involve the gym.  

Known as the hardest-working royal in recent years, time is of the essence for the busy Princess Royal. As a result, practicality and classic elegance seem to be factors that influence her choice of clothing and hairstyle for engagements. Just days ago Princess Anne used a handbag from the Balmoral Castle gift shop and re-wore her snazzy sunglasses, creating an affordable and very *her* look. Though her looks just wouldn’t be the same without Princess Anne’s 10-minute beauty trick as she’s previously revealed it takes barely any time at all to craft her pulled-back hairstyle. 

Now considered to be her signature look, we can’t remember the last time we saw Princess Anne, who is 16th in the royal line of succession, with any other hairstyle. It even appears on Princess Anne in The Crown where she’s played by Erin Doherty. Erin previously described the senior royal’s hairstyle as its “own beast” to recreate for the show but according to Princess Anne herself, it couldn’t be quicker!

Opening up in the 2020 ITV documentary, Anne: The Princess Royal at 70, she revealed she’d read Erin’s quotes and hilariously commented that she couldn’t understand why it took so long.

“Actually I read an article the other day – I don't watch Netflix and The Crown – but the actress was talking about how long it took them to do her hair like I did, and I’m thinking, ‘How could it possibly take that long?’ I mean, it takes me 10 or 15 minutes,” she declared. 

She might be a senior royal, but this reveals that she does her own hair and Princess Anne’s 10-minute beauty trick has really stood the test of time, adding effortless elegance to complete any of her outfits. However, throwback photographs have highlighted how she’s not the first to try this up-do as another glamorous royal has previously stepped out a lot with this hairstyle.

Although she favored different styles over the decades, the Queen’s sister Princess Margaret definitely loved this pulled-back hair look too. She was pictured with a very similar hairstyle at the Horder Center in 1990, as per the Getty caption, as well as for an official visit from Nelson Mandela the same year and for an engagement at a new Docklands development in 1987. 

Whilst Princess Anne and Princess Margaret couldn’t look more similar, both with their hairstyles and their vibrant dresses, at The Thomson International Financing Awards Dinner and NSPCC Suffolk Gala Ball respectively. Whether the Princess Royal’s late aunt also spent just 10-15 minutes to achieve this look isn't clear.

Given Princess Margaret’s decadent morning routine and Princess Margaret’s extravagant lifestyle generally, it’s perhaps likely she preferred someone else to do her hair. Either way, the result of Princess Anne's 10-minute trick rounds off her classic style and Princess Margaret's love for the same kind of up-do shows that this look has stood the test of time.