This past fall, the Princess of Wales decided to change up her hairstyle by adding curtain bangs, which are known for being high maintenance as they require styling on a regular basis.
However, despite the finicky hairstyle, Kate Middleton’s bangs have remained perfectly in place during each of her latest outings. As a result, a hairstylist decided to take to TikTok to explain her theory behind what keeps the royal’s locks in place.
“Watch her hair. The wind blows, her hair doesn’t move at all,” a TikToker by the username @Bekah_and_co commented as footage rolled of Kate visiting a father’s group in November 2023.
“She uses tons of hairspray to keep her hair in place, to keep her bangs in place,” Bekah said. “So if you want bangs, and you live in a windy city or humid city, you have to use product in order to keep them still.”
To further prove her point, the hairstylist posted a second video of her own curtain bangs as she put a blow dryer directly on her bangs both without and then with hairspray. Without hairspray they were blowing all over the place while hairspray largely prevented them from budging.
After posting the video, it went on to receive over three million views. Many people ended up taking to the comments section, where some agreed with Bekah’s point about hairspray, while others weren’t convinced Kate was wearing her natural hair during the royal outings.
“Also looks like she has on a halo hair extension,” one commenter wrote, referencing the hair extensions that specifically go around the crown area of the head.
“Looks like a hairpiece,” another commenter agreed.
However, many viewers pointed out that, even if the royal was wearing a wig or hair extensions, those would likely need hairspray too in order to stay in place. “To anyone saying it‘s a wig: a wig would still need the hairspray for the bangs to sit still. Please think,” one commenter wrote.
“Southern women have been doing this for decades a la Dolly Parton,” another commenter joked.
This isn’t the first time Kate’s hair has gained public attention. This autumn, Kate stepped out in a departure from her usual hairstyle. Instead of her long, wavy tresses, the princess donned a low bun with face-framing curtain bangs while joining a family portage session in Sittingbourne, England.
However, as some fans remember, Meghan Markle received backlash for sporting a very similar hairstyle just six years ago.
In a viral video posted to TikTok, royal commentator Amanda Matta (@matta_of_fact) compared several headlines discussing Kate and Meghan’s similar hairstyles, pointing out the “double standards” faced by the Duchess of Sussex.
Set to the song “all-american b****” by Olivia Rodrigo, Amanda shared screenshots of articles from Glamour, Allure, and People - each one claiming that Meghan “broke royal protocol” by wearing her hair in a low bun with strands in the front. The articles stated that the royal family prefers members to have their hair perfectly sleek and smooth, with no stray hairs peeking out of a bun or falling over the face.
But as Kate seemed to prove, members of the royal family can indeed wear messy buns and curtain bangs without being accused of breaking protocol.
“Spot the difference,” Amanda captioned her TikTok, which showed a headline praising Kate’s latest hairstyle. “As always, it’s not about someone ‘owning’ a style - it’s the double standards that are the issue.”
