Queen Elizabeth Changes Her Hair in Wake of Platinum Jubilee

Even Queen Elizabeth needs to freshen up her looks from time to time. The British monarch has had a similar hairstyle for decades, with only a change of color with age creating some distinction. Until now, on her Platinum Jubilee and in the twilight of her rule.

Her classic longer look last made a public appearance on June 2, when the celebrations for the Jubilee were going strong. Now that the major ceremonies have passed, it seems that Queen Elizabeth has opted for a shorter look. Photos released from a set of meetings at Windsor Castle this week show the queen sporting a yellow blouse and a streamlined short trim to the sides of her hair. It actually works for her because now it seems she has a neck, when it used to seem that her older hair was holding her head down.

It may have been a long time for the queen since her last trip to the salon. The coronavirus pandemic limited her ability to function normally, with PEOPLE noting that close aide Angela Kelly was the one who took on the role of cutting and setting her hair.

“From March 2020 onwards I washed The Queen’s hair every week, set and styled it, and even trimmed it when needed. My team named it Kelly’s Salon,” Kelly wrote as an addition to her book The Other Side of The Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe. “During the first two weeks, I was shaking. I had only done her hair once or twice before while on board the Royal Yacht Britannia. The Queen was so kind as she advised me on the very specific way to put the rollers in.”

To be fair, it’d be nerve-wracking for anybody to step up and style the queen’s hair. Luckily, the penalty for screwing up today is a lot less severe than the days when kings and queens were the law of the land.

“As I grew in confidence I’m sure The Queen thought I was a professional and started shouting at me, ‘Don’t do that, do it this way. That’s right, you’ve got it, don’t change it.’ I was thinking, goodness me, I need a gin and tonic,” Kelly adds. “So while The Queen was under the dryer I said to her, ‘I’m off for a stiff drink because this is so stressful, getting it just right for you.’”

She also reveals that she used an entire can of hairspray to ensure the hairstyle would hold for the entire week. There were also two specific cases that were more stressful than normal because they were broadcast to the realm on television. “I had to wash and set her hair and at the end of that, never mind one gin and tonic – I needed a whole bottle!” she added. “he Christmas broadcast was another reason to reach for the gin. Any time The Queen was without a hat was stressful as there was nowhere to hide, so I had to get her hair perfect.”

So the real question is how much of the queen’s look is on purpose and how much is just the result of trying to fix a mistake. As a monarch, she’s missing the party on wearing a series of fun wigs. Think of Phil Spector, but with that royal elegance.