Princess Diana trimmed her hair 1/4 inch at a time so people would not notice
When we think of Princess Diana, most of us will remember her flushed cheeks, her wardrobe, and her iconic pixie-cut hairdo. It is believed that fans were so obsessed with Princess Diana's hair that it had to be trimmed every few weeks in secret.
As reported by Town&Country, Princess Diana's hairdresser, Richard Dalton said, "I met Diana when she was 17. I worked at Fenwick of Bond Street’s in-store salon, and cut her sisters’ hair." However, Dalton is not the one responsible for her feathered cut and he had passed on the shy teenager to fellow stylist Kevin Shanley. Shanley had also styled Diana for her wedding.
Dalton shared, "I was with her every day for 12 years." He also gave Prince Harry and Prince William their first haircuts. Dalton does not and will not share any sort of personal information about the late Princess despite the fact that he had permanently relocated to the US six years before her death. When it comes to matters of royal style, he chooses to be more open.
It is believed that the Princess wanted much shorter and easier hair for her upcoming Africa trip but was very concerned with the impact that a drastic change or transformation would have. Hence, they decided that they would cut her hair in such a way that it was barely noticeable. "Whatever I did to her hair became front page news. We had to be very careful. We had to do it one-fourth of an inch at a time over several weeks," he said.
While watching Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle, Dalton revealed that it brought back a flood of memories. "Her hair looked very elegant. It not only complemented the gown but also balanced the tiara and veil," he said about the new Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle.
"What people don’t realize is the magnitude of that monarch-length veil and the significance of the tiara. It’s a crown jewel and must be respected and protected. You have to be extremely careful and gentle with it, and absolutely no hairspray or styling product can touch the stones," he added.
There have been many subtle tributes to Princess Diana over the years that Dalton noticed and he said, "From the vacant chair beside Prince William to Diana’s favorite hymn, ‘Guide Me, O Thy Great Redeemer,’ which was sung at both her wedding to Prince Charles and at her funeral, she was there in many ways. And then there were the flowers—white roses and lily of the valley. Those were her favorites."
Richard Dalton became Princess Diana's hairdresser in the year 1981 while he owned as well as operated his own salon in Claridge's Hotel. When he was asked to join the Princess as a full-time employee, he sold the salon and joined her. Dalton helped create some of the Princess' most iconic looks such as the jeweled choker as headband in Australia, the controversial retro 1940s roll and, ultimately, the big hair needed to counterbalance the shoulder-padded fashions of '80s.
Once Dalton moved to the United States, he continued to work with ladies in the spotlight and some of his clients include Sophia Loren, Jane Seymour, Barbara Grant, and the late Joan Rivers (along with daughter Melissa). He even worked on Katy Perry's hair, "before she was known as Katy Perry," he joked.
It also looks like Princess Diana's amazing jewelry collection will start appearing more in public with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle having tied the knot. It is believed that the late Princess of Wales wanted her incredible selection of pieces split between sons Prince William and Prince Harry's wives.
According to Good Housekeeping, a jewelry expert Ella Kay said, "The royal wills are all sealed. They're not made public so we don’t know who exactly got what or what happened to it. It wouldn't surprise me if they kept back the lion's share of jewelry until both of the Princes were married so that they could split it. Harry hadn't needed it so far but I can imagine them saying, 'We don't want Kate to start wearing it all' because there would be nothing left [for Harry's wife]."
However, it is believed that Prince Harry and Prince William already had some sort of a plan regarding what they wanted to do with their mother's collection given that both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle's engagement rings incorporated Princess Diana's jewels.
"The one that I cannot wait to see back — or that I'm hoping will be worn — is a sapphire cluster with diamonds all around it like Kate's engagement ring, but it's the size of an egg. The Queen Mother gave it to her as a wedding gift. It was originally a brooch but Diana set it in a pearl choker," Ella continued.