Princess Diana’s Hairstylist Reveals Why the Late Royal Wore a Diamond Necklace as a Headband

While biker shorts and a sweatshirt might be the quintessential Princess Diana relatable fashion moment, the late royal also set the standard for innovative beauty hacks. Royal style watchers likely recall the evening of October 31, 1985, when the Princess of Wales stepped out in Melbourne, Australia, with a diamond and emerald choker across her forehead.

Little was known about Diana's decision to turn her necklace into a headband at the time. But now, there's new information about what happened in the moments leading up to the historic beauty moment. Richard Dalton, Princess Diana’s long-time hairstylist, revealed at a "Styling Princess Diana" panel at the Fotografiska museum in New York on Tuesday, May 21, that the choice was born out of practicality.

“I think she had sunburn on her neck so we said, ‘Let’s make a headband of it,’" Dalton said in an interview. “I asked Evelyn, her dresser, for six inches of knicker elastic, [the kind used by] grannies.” With a little spontaneous tailoring, the choker was made long enough to be fasted onto the royal’s head.

Little nuggets about Diana’s best beauty moments weren’t all Dalton had to share in the conversation. The hairstylist also revealed a sneak peek into his hair-cutting sessions with Prince William and Prince Harry. Apparently, the boys, who are now 41 and 39 respectively, welcomed Dalton’s visits as they were accompanied by “extra television” time. “She trusted me enough to go up to the nursery room,” he shared at the event. “They were both very sweet.”

Dalton worked as Princess Diana's hairstylist for a decade. The duo met when Princess Diana was only seventeen years old and then known as "The Honourable Diana Frances Spencer." In their time together, Dalton would often style Diana's hair twice a day: once in the morning before her daytime events, and once in the evening before her tiara was put into place.

Princess Diana came to rely on her stylist for a break from the confines of royal life, Dalton revealed in the same interview. "She would call me at Windsor Castle and say, ‘Can I come have my hair done at your apartment?’ She used to love coming to my house because it was normal," he recalled. Of course, her collection of tiaras was anything but.