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When most of us think of “princess hair,” the Rapunzel-esque locks of Disney movies and fairytales (…or Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle) come to mind—and that’s exactly what made Princess Diana’s hair so iconic. The “people’s princess” instead opted for shorter strands, a decision that solidified her as a timeless beauty icon. Though her hair never stretched past her shoulders, she constantly reinvented herself over her 20 years in the public eye (just as she did with her street style and vacation looks). According to her stylist, Sam McKnight, her decision to keep her hair short was in part catering to her adoring fans: “She knew that people wanted to see ‘Princess Diana,’ so that’s what she gave them.” She embraced timely ’80s and ’90s trends like the feathered mushroom cut and the shorn pixie with her own confident twist—and her impact remains strong today through some of the most popular pixie cuts and bob hairstyles. Keep scrolling to see 15 of the best Princess Diana haircuts of all time—and feel free to steal some truly timeless short hair inspo for yourself.
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Wedding Day Flip
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For her wedding in 1981, Princess Diana opted to style her chin-length strands in a statement-making flippy style with bangs—topped off with a crown and veil, of course.
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Feathered Mushroom Cut
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Though “mushroom cut” doesn’t exactly sound like the chicest style on the market, this expertly styled, feathered version will have you rethinking that assumption—plus the look is trending again.
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Bob with Bangs
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This bob with bangs hairstyle, which Diana wore while pregnant with Prince William in 1982, is truly fit for a princess. The face-framing flip and curtain bangs reveal soft platinum streaks that give the royal’s perpetually radiant complexion an even more breathtaking glow.
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Layered Lob
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What sets a lob (a.k.a. a long bob) apart from its standard-length cousin is that it hits somewhere between the chin and collarbone—and combining it with side-swept bangs and easy layers, the way Diana does here, adds an eye-catching dimensionality to the look. It’s no wonder this style has stood the test of time.
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Classic '80s Bob
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Few bobs in history are as iconic as Princess Diana’s, and this photo serves as proof. The perfectly coiffed style here features a flip that looks equal parts regal and effortless.
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Pinned Back
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On one of the rare occasions that Princess Diana rocked a haircut without her signature bangs, this pinned-back style gets its glamour from its severe side part and loose curls.
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Ultra-Feathered
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Farrah Fawcett may get the credit for making the feathered cut a thing in the ‘70s, but Princess Diana kept its popularity going well into the late ‘80s—and in true royal fashion, she accessorized it with a wide-brimmed hat.
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French Bob
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Diana may have been the Princess of Wales, but this French bob haircut takes its inspiration from another nation entirely. We love how classically chic it feels paired with her Remembrance Day look of pearl earrings, a brimmed hat with netting, and a black blazer.
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Short with Florals
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Diana never let her short strands stop her from experimenting with hair accessories. Here, she dressed up her cropped ‘do with silk flowers (a marked difference from her usual fascinators), plus she took the bold beauty one step further with a swipe of blue eyeliner.
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Bouffant
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The bouffant may have made its appearance in the ‘60s, but Princess Diana gave it an ‘80s twist by embracing the volume-happy (and hairspray-heavy) vibes signature to the decade.
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Fringed Pixie Cut
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Legend has it that Princess Diana gave stylist Sam McKnight free rein to do “whatever he wanted” to her hair on the set of a 1991 Vogue photoshoot, and the result was this fringed pixie cut that became her signature style in the years that followed.
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Curly Crop
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When Princess Diana styled her short strands in a curly crop, the statement-making style showed off the high contrast between her light ends and dark roots.
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Elongated Pixie
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Taking a page from stars like Meg Ryan and Gwyneth Paltrow, Princess Diana showed off one of the hottest '90s hair trends in the form of this sleek pixie cut with side-swept bangs and chunky golden highlights.
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Shaggy Pixie
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Equally as iconic as Princess Diana’s sweatshirt and bike shorts combo is the casual, “just woke up like this” pixie cut she wore with it. The unfussy cut feels markedly different than the coiffed styles that defined her days as a queen-in-waiting (this photo was taken after she had separated from Prince Charles), and the full look makes it easy to understand the royal’s relatability.
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Highlighted Pixie
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Diana’s hair transformation throughout the ‘90s saw her blonde get brighter and her bangs get wispier, giving her a look that would feel just as at home today as it did more than three decades ago.
