Like the three-strand pearl necklace, block-coloured outfits and Launer London handbag, Queen Elizabeth II’s trademark curly crop was central to her signature style. In fact, her hair was arguably the most recognisable feature she presented, given how its perfectly symmetrical shape has appeared across our currency, stamps and royal memorabilia throughout the last seven decades of her reign. This unwavering consistency was steadfast dedication to a look.

“She’s been constant in all our lives and her hair has been equally as constant,” Ben Cooke, a leading London hairstylist – who works with members of the royal family – tells me. “It makes her even more iconic.”

Cooke says that the Queen’s haircut (which was the work of her personal hairdresser, Ian Carmichael, a senior stylist at the Trevor Sorbie salon in Covent Garden) was, technically speaking, “a long, round layer” – which “means all of the hair is the same length all over”. Then, to style it, “the Queen had a classic ‘shampoo and set’”. After washing, with small rollers specifically placed using what’s known as an ‘Italian boy’ technique, an identical pattern was created time and again as her hair dried.

“It’s very 1940s old Hollywood – Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, they all had sets,” he says. “The next generation moved on to blow-dries, so you didn’t really see those shapes anymore.” Except, of course, on the Queen. Always. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, when lockdowns prevented Carmichael from visiting the palace, her hairstyle remained consistent – both behind the scenes and for virtual public appearances.

It was Angela Kelly, the Queen’s former personal assistant and dresser, who stepped in during this time to play hairdresser. In her book The Other Side Of The Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe, she detailed her experiences of doing Her Majesty’s hair during the pandemic. Extracts shared via Hello! reveal: “From March 2020 onwards I washed the Queen’s hair every week, set and styled it, and even trimmed it when needed.” To alleviate the pressure, Her Majesty generously guided her. “The Queen was so kind, as she advised me on the very specific way to put the rollers in.”

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