No-nonsense Princess Anne has perfected her royal style down to a reliable formula. An elegant, practical coat, sensible shoes, a dress she's been wearing since 1982...maybe throw in a tartan scarf for good measure. And her hair? Forever in its signature teased French twist, which she once revealed took her "10 or 15 minutes" to do in an ITV documentary (via the Independent). But on Tuesday, July 9, the Princess Royal attended a state banquet at Windsor Castle with a very different hairstyle than usual as she celebrated the visit of French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte.
Anne, ever the outfit recycler, chose the same bridal-like, embellished Maureen Baker gown and beaded white bolero she wore for one of her 70th birthday portraits in 2020. Like Queen Camilla, the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Gloucester, she chose white to honor the French flag, with Princess Kate and Brigitte Macron wearing gowns to reflect the red and blue shades of the country.
And while the Princess Royal wore her favorite diamond Festoon Tiara—a piece she's owned since 1973—it sat atop an unusually glam evening updo.
Anne ditched her go-to style, instead wearing her hair in a voluminous side bun as she entered Windsor Castle alongside husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. She accessorized with some sentimental jewels, wearing the magnificent diamond necklace and earrings that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip gave her as an 18th birthday gift.
The Princess Royal first wore her Festoon Tiara in a series of portraits to mark her 23rd birthday in 1973, and the antique diamond headpiece—"likely created at the turn of the century"—was presented to her as a gift by the World Wide Shipping Group after she launched one of their ships, per the Royal Watcher Blog.
As for the rest of the Royal Family, the Princess of Wales—who wore her hair down in soft curls—sported her favorite diamond and pearl piece, Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara, while Queen Camilla sparkled in sapphires and diamonds with the Belgian Sapphire Tiara. Duchess Sophie wore her delicate Wessex Aquamarine Tiara with a sleek updo, and the Duchess of Gloucester chose a historic piece, wearing Queen Mary's Teck Turquoise Tiara.
