Fashion Statement? Political Statement? Or Just a Bad Hair Day?

The story of royal fashion includes accessories, and that means the accessory we all take with us everywhere, every day: hair. 

Life in Medieval England was heavily influenced by the Catholic Church. This extended to hairstyles. Around the 10th century, the Church began issuing statements about the appropriate length of men’s hair and the need for women to cover their heads and hair. In 1073, Pope Gregory VII even banned beards and mustaches among the clergy. 

As the Reformation progressed, the strict rules of the Catholic Church began to disappear in some places. In England, this was reflected in hairstyles. Elizabeth’s reign in particular saw women abandon the notion of covering their hair with a hood and veil. Hair was visible in Elizabethan England, decorated with jewels and ornaments. 

Of course, if hair is exposed for the world to see, what happens when it turns grey or begins to thin? You’ll notice from portraits of Queen Elizabeth I , that didn’t seem to happen to royals. Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret: wigs! Even though St. Bernard de Clairvaux said in the twelfth century that women who wore wigs were committing a mortal sin, this condemnation had been swept away. Queen Elizabeth had several wigs—some people think as many as 80! The wigs covered her the reality of ageing, something that became a popular political stand as Elizabeth refused to marry and produce an heir.

As we leave the Tudors and move into the Stuart reign, it’s the men whose hair takes center stage. Starting with Charles I, the second Stuart King of England, big wigs were the style of Kings. The abundance of all that curly hair gave the King and the royalists their nickname during the English Civil War: The Cavaliers. It is associated with the French word chevalier meaning horse—think horse main, abundant hair, dressed and styled for royal processions. The Parliamentarians, on the other hand, were known as the Roundheads because they couldn’t afford the huge wigs and their closely cropped hair showed the round shape of their heads.

In the early 20th century royal hair beats a bit of a retreat. For example, the Queen's hairstyle has remained largely the same throughout her reign, serving primarily as a place to display the elegant crowns and tiaras at evening events and spectacular hats during the day. But the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century, fashion-forward hair makes a comeback. Diana, Princess of Wales captured the world's attention with her wardrobe and hair--both of which got sleek and chic over the years. And the Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Sussex have their own styles and continue to define the modern monarchy.

What do you think the royal style will be like in the next 20 years??

History shows us what's possible.