Princess Diana had some of the most memorable fashion moments of any royal, and the same can be said of her hair. As well as regularly nailing casual style, Princess Diana inspired women to cut their hair short. At her 1981 wedding to King Charles, Diana wore her hair slightly longer, but by 1990, the former Princess of Wales was ready for a change. And according to her hairstylist Sam McKnight, the royal didn't take that much convincing to drastically alter her look.
After meeting on the set of a Vogue photoshoot, Diana connected with McKnight, and asked a very pertinent question. "At the end of the day, after we'd done the shoot, she said, 'What would you do with my hair if I said, 'Do anything?'" McKnight told Jonathan Van Ness on the podcast Pretty Curious (via People). "And I said, 'Do you know what? It's 1990. I would cut it all off and start again.'"
While some people wouldn't have liked McKnight's direct suggestion, Diana was apparently ready for a new hairstyle. As for what McKnight had planned, he explained. "Get rid of the perm, make it more streamlined—and that’s what we did."
Princess Diana in July 1991.
Explaining how quickly he became Princess Diana's hairstylist, Sam McKnight revealed that they changed the royal's hairstyle there and then. "We did that before she went home," he explained. "We kind of got the kit back out—'Okay, let’s do it.’ And that was it. And that was seven years I spent with her after that."
Reflecting on meeting Diana for the very first time, McKnight told the outlet, "We didn’t know it was going to be her—and then this sort of tall, leggy blonde comes bouncing up the stairs and, you know what, she had us at 'Hello.'"
Sharing insight into her personality, McKnight said on the podcast, "She was just so disarming and charming and funny, and stuck her hand out with a big smile and [said], 'Hi, I’m Diana. What are we gonna do?'" Clearly, Diana and McKnight were the perfect team, as Diana's hairstyles remain unforgettable to this day.
-
Prince Harry’s Ex, Cressida Bonas, Is Launching a Podcast and Princess Eugenie Is Already Lined Up as a GuestOther famous faces in the podcast's launch announcement video include Kate Winslet, Mary Berry, and Camilla Alves McConaughey.
-
Hailey Bieber Pairs a Celebrity-Beloved Bag With $450 Flip-Flops for Date NightThe model kept it new-parent-casual for her date night with her husband, Justin Bieber.
-
'The Residence' Is a White House-Set Whodunit, But Where Was It Really Filmed?The Shondaland-produced Netflix series pulled off the largest-ever recreation of the Executive Mansion.
-
Exclusive: Princess Diana Would \201cSend Romantic Cards to Prince Charles\201d But \201cHe Never Returned the Compliment,\201d Per Former Royal ButlerDiana’s butler, Paul Burrell, tells ‘Marie Claire’ how the royals \201cnever acknowledged\201d Valentine’s Day.
-
Princess Diana Once Wore an Unbelievable "Disguise" for a Secret Night Out With an A-List Singer"We were nudging each other like naughty schoolchildren."
-
Princess Kate Is Being Compared to Princess Diana for This "Priceless" Quality During Children's Hospice VisitThe Princess of Wales is following in her late mother-in-law's footsteps.
-
25 Under-$250 Beauty Products the Royal Family Swears BySkip the tiara, steal the skincare routine.
-
Princess Diana’s Brother Says She Would Be Proud of Prince Harry for Winning an Apology for Her from ‘The Sun’"She would be incredibly touched at that, and rightly proud."
-
Princess Diana Had a "Secret" Trick to "Avoid Wearing Tights" Around the RoyalsRules be damned.
-
Princess Diana's Dance With Prince Charles Was "Not as Elegant" as When She Danced With John Travolta, Per Her Longtime TeacherDiana's private dance instructor, Anne Allan, had some critiques for Charles in her memoir.
-
Why Princess Margaret Felt a "Deep Sense of Hurt and Betrayal" Because of Princess Diana"She also made it clear to her children that she did not want them fraternizing with the enemy."
