Royal hairstyles must always be flawless, especially for the most important moments of one’s life.
So, it was no surprise that Kate Middleton’s chestnut locks looked perfect when she and Prince William revealed their engagement to the world on November 16, 2010.
Onlookers were quick to notice her impeccable outfit and voluminous blow-dry – trademarks she has continued to impress with over the years.
In her book, Kate: The Future Queen, bestselling author Katie Nicholl offers a glimpse into what happened behind the scenes.
She discloses that Kate’s trusted hairdresser, James Pryce, was called to the Palace to style her tresses ahead of the appearance.
He told the author: ‘I was doing a client when I got a call from the Palace asking me to come and do Kate’s hair. They told me that they had announced their engagement. It was hugely exciting and the most important blow-dry I’d ever done. Kate just asked me for the usual.’
Mr Pryce, who was then working at the Richard Ward salon in Chelsea, charged £50 for styling and £88 for a cut and blow dry.
He went on to create Kate’s iconic half-up, half-down hairstyle on her wedding day.
After eight years of dating, Prince William and Kate Middleton thrilled royal fans with the announcement of their engagement on November 16, 2010
William and Kate shared their happy news in an exclusive interview with Tom Bradby, followed by a press appearance in the State Apartments at St James’s Palace.
‘Kate had been dreading the interview, and afterward Mr Bradby remembered her leaning back and sighing with relief, exclaiming, “I’m no good at this!”,’ Ms Nicholls writes.
She continues: ‘Like the late Princess of Wales, Kate was statuesque and beautiful, with heavily made up eyes, but she seemed far more confident than Diana, who had been just nineteen when she and Charles got engaged.
The fifteen-minute interview was viewed by three billion people across the world – and it was the first time Kate had spoken publicly.
‘She made a point of placing her hands on her lap so that she didn’t fidget with her hair and spoke beautifully in a cut-glass accent,’ Ms Nicholls says.
A number of Kate’s school friends noted that she spoke quite differently compared to when she was younger.
‘”She has changed a lot, she’s certainly grown into a beauty, and the funny thing is her voice has completely changed. She sounds very posh, and she definitely wasn’t that well-spoken when we were at school,” recalled one of her contemporaries from St Andrew’s Prep.’
Kate was immaculately clad a £385 royal blue dress by Daniella Helayel, founder and former creative director of Issa. The mid-length silk dress, inspired by a design worn by Helayel’s couturier grandmother, was a fitting choice for the future Queen.
The couple shared their happy news in an exclusive interview with Tom Bradby, followed by a press appearance in the State Apartments at St James’s Palace
Onlookers were quick to notice Kate’s impeccable outfit and voluminous blowdry – trademarks she has continued to impress with over the years
Kate’s trusted hairdresser, James Pryce, was called to the Palace to blow-dry her hair ahead of the big announcement
Mr Pryce, who then worked at the Richard Ward salon in Chelsea, charged £50 for styling and £88 for a cut and blow dry. He also styled Kate’s half-up, half-down do on her wedding day
William had, of course, presented his fiancee with a 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire, surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds, which was crafted by the London luxury jeweller Garrard. It was the very ring chosen by Lady Diana Spencer when she became engaged to Charles, then Prince of Wales, in 1981
One of the most famous pieces of jewellery in history, Kate’s sapphire and diamond engagement ring was purchased by Charles for Diana in 1981. It cost £28,000 and is now valued at upwards of £300,000
It sold out within 24 hours, marking the beginning of the ‘Kate effect.’
William proposed during a private holiday in Kenya the previous month, having received permission from Kate’s father, Michael.
He had, of course, presented his fiancee with a 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire, surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds, crafted by the London luxury jeweller Garrard.
One of the most famous pieces of jewellery in history, this engagement ring was purchased by Charles for Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. It cost £28,000 and is now valued at upwards of £300,000.
The striking design was inspired by Queen Victoria’s sapphire brooch, worn as her ‘something blue’ for her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840.
The choice of a catalogue ring, instead of a custom-designed piece, broke royal tradition, allowing others to purchase the same engagement ring.
Dubbed the ‘Commoner’s Sapphire,’ it reflected Diana’s grounded nature, as she valued the sentimental meaning of the ring more than royal traditions.
Charles and Diana announced their engagement five months prior to their wedding, on February 24, 1981, with an exclusive interview.
The Prince told the BBC that he was ‘delighted and frankly amazed’ that Diana was ‘prepared’ to take him on.
However, he upset his future wife when he was asked if they were in love. Diana replied, ‘Of course,’ while Charles quipped, ‘Whatever in love means’ – a comment she was believed to find ‘traumatising.’
In contrast, William and Kate presented a remarkedly different display.
Ms Nicholl observes: ‘With his arm protectively around Kate, it was clear William knew exactly what love meant.’
