Kate Middleton Broke a 350-Year-Old Royal Tradition With One Detail in Her Wedding Look

As Kate Middleton prepared to marry her college sweetheart and heir to the throne, Prince William, she made the bold choice to break a 350-year-old royal tradition. According to a royal reporter, for her wedding day, the Princess of Wales was determined to wear her hair down—a striking departure from the elegant updos traditionally donned by royal brides.

Middleton married William on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey. The grand wedding, which was watched by 26 million people in the UK, was a huge affair to say the least. While the wedding went smoothly, royal watchers noted the difference in her wedding look. As reported by Marie Claire, royal reporter Ashley Pearson, in the documentary William & Kate: The Journey, said, “The royals insisted very strongly to Kate that they would prefer her to wear her hair up for this very special occasion. Kate had her heart set on wearing her hair down with long flowing curls, which is her favorite way to wear it, and actually William’s favorite as well.” Pearson continued, “As is evident from photos of the day, the royals ended up compromising on her look."

Middleton’s hairdresser, Richard Ward, told People magazine that the Princess arrived at London’s Goring Hotel at 5:30 a.m. to begin styling her hair for the wedding. He recounted, “I wanted to show Kate the back of her hair, and I was struggling to walk with this 500-year-old mirror. He [William] just said, ‘Let me give you a hand.’ And I said, ‘No, no, honestly.’ But he took one end, and I have got the other, and we are shuffling along with this mirror—he is great, he really is.” Ward added, “It was the most incredible experience, and I will never forget it.”

According to Slate, there's a surprising reason behind why royal brides are encouraged to wear their hair up for their nuptials. The outlet states that in the 18th century, most lower-class brides wore their hair down, while the royals were piling it up. Young women maintained a virginal look with naturally flowing locks, while older ladies employed tight buns and practical braids. This pretty much explains why the Queen, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, Princess Eugenie, and most recently, Meghan Markle decided to go for an updo during their royal weddings.

While the now-Princess of Wales was the first to break the tradition, she certainly wasn’t the last. Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew's younger daughter, Princess Beatrice, took a page from Middleton's book when she chose to wear her hair down for her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. She styled her hair in loose, tousled curls.