Last fall, the Princess of Wales decided to change up her hairstyle by adding curtain bangs, which are known to be high maintenance as they require regular styling.
However, despite the delicate hairstyle, Kate Middleton’s bangs stayed perfectly in place during each of her recent outings. As a result, one stylist decided to take to TikTok to explain her theory behind what keeps the royal locks in place.
“Take care of your hair. The wind is blowing, her hair is not moving at all,” commented a TikToker with the username @Bekah_and_co as footage was recorded of Kate visiting a parenting group in November 2023.
“She uses tons of hairspray to keep her hair in place and her bangs in place,” Bekah said. “So if you want bangs and you live in a windy or humid city, you should use a product to keep them still.”
To further prove her point, the stylist posted a second video of her own curtain bangs while using a blow dryer directly on the bangs, without and then with hairspray. Without lacquer, they were flying everywhere, while the lacquer largely prevented them from moving.
After posting the video, it received more than three million views. Many people ended up taking to the comments section, where some agreed with Bekah’s point about her hairspray, while others weren’t convinced that Kate was wearing her natural hair during royal outings.
“It also looks like she has a halo hair extension,” one commenter wrote, referencing hair extensions that specifically surround the crown area of the head.
“It looks like a hairpiece,” another commenter agreed.
However, many viewers pointed out that even if the royal were wearing a wig or hair extensions, they would probably also need hairspray to stay in place. “For anyone saying it’s a wig: a wig would still need hairspray for the bangs to stay put. Please think,” one commenter wrote.
“Southern women have been doing this for decades a la Dolly Parton,” another commenter joked.
This is not the first time Kate’s hair has caught the public’s attention. This fall, Kate departed from her usual hairstyle. Instead of her long, wavy tresses, the princess donned a low bun with bangs that framed her face as she participated in a family hauling session in Sittingbourne, England.
However, as some fans remember, Meghan Markle received criticism 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” the Duchess of Sussex faces.
Set to the song “all-american b****” by Olivia Rodrigo, Amanda shared screenshots of articles from Glamor, Seduce, and People – each claims Meghan “broke royal protocol” by wearing her hair in a low bun with bangs in the front. The articles claimed that the royal family prefers members to have perfectly straight, straight hair, with no stray hairs sticking out of a bun or falling into the face.
But as Kate seemed to demonstrate, members of the royal family can wear messy buns and bangs without being accused of breaking protocol.
“Find the difference,” Amanda captioned her TikTok, which featured a headline praising Kate’s latest hairstyle. “As always, it’s not about someone ‘owning’ a style: the problem is double standards.”
