It's finally happened: Meghan Markle is officially a royal, and shall be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales, not Princess Meghan. And while I'm crying, and you're crying, and we're all crying over Harry choking up when he saw Meghan walk down the aisle, I'm choking up over Meghan's gorgeous hair.
Meghan opted for a low, twisted-and-pinned updo for her wedding-day hairstyle, along with a very classic veil, and, of course, the tiara. Her short, face-framing layers were split down the middle for a very 2018, center-parted finish.
(Image credit: Caroline Castigliano)
Though, underneath the veil, it appeared as though she had gone with a low chignon, we can see from side views that her shoulder-length waves have been twisted, coiled, and pinned in the back of her head for a voluminous finish.
My only complaint: The one strand of hair that's been threatening to come loose from her updo for the last 40 minutes. PLEASE, TUCK IT BEHIND YOUR EAR, MEGHAN! I can't handle this suspense.
(Image credit: NBC)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
I'll update this story with more photos and details as we get them!
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There may be a million strict royal protocols Meghan Markle will have to follow once she's married, but when it comes to her wedding-day hairstyle, Meghan will have completely free reign.
"There's no protocol that they have to wear it up or down," says British bridal designer Caroline Castigliano, MarieClaire.com's exclusive royal wedding expert. "Brides can do as they see fit." Which means she could wear a braided half-up bun, or a wispy low knot, or even wet-look finger waves if that's what she wanted to do—after all, it's her (and Prince Harry's) wedding day. Still, Castigliano has some guesses.
'Kate Middleton wore her hair in a demi-chignon on her wedding day on April 29, 2011'
(Image credit: Getty Images)
When Kate Middleton married Prince William in 2011, she opted for a classic, half-up knot with soft, romantic waves—a look that was relaxed, yet still regally polished. In an interview with People, Kate's wedding-day hairstylist Richard Ward said the Duchess had a say in all the decisions.
“Catherine was very involved in her chosen style, and the bridal look was based on her own personal preference,” Ward said. “It was really a matter of getting a fine balance of feeling natural but also reflected the occasion.”
For Meghan's hair, Castigliano says it's likely she'll choose a very similar style to that of her soon-to-be sister-in-law's: "I'd imagine she will do it sort of half-and-half."
'Meghan Markle had long, shiny waves during her outing in Northern Ireland.'
(Image credit: Getty Images)
"Bring the hair up in the front, so she can get a nice little bit of height behind the tiara, and that, of course, with her fantastic dark hair, will look sensational," says Castigliano. "And then I think she's going to have a silk veil, and that will obviously extend the whole way over the dress and the train."
When it comes to her everyday hairstyles, Meghan can be quite the royal rule breaker, like that time she "forgot" to cinch her messy bun with a hairnet, and, subsequently, had lots of flyaways. Since she's been accompanying Prince Harry to events this year, Meghan has showcased a number of different hairstyles, including messy chignons, twisted knots, and long, loose waves.
As a seasoned red carpet-goer from her time working on Suits, Meghan already knows what it's like getting her hair done for big events. But will Meghan get a new hairstylist when she becomes a royal? It's unclear right now, but she's reportedly borrowing Amal Clooney's hairstylist Miguel Perez for her wedding day look (a.k.a not an official royal stylist). The two were introduced by Amal herself, who, along with her hubby, George Clooney, will reportedly be there for Meghan and Harry's nuptials.
Perez, who works at a salon based in London, confirmed to The Mail that he's been the hands behind the hair for Meghan's most recent appearances, and will be the one creating her wedding day look. If both Amal and Meghan's sleek waves are any indication of Perez's signature styling, we can expect to see something very similar on May 19.
No matter what she chooses, it's probably going to be everyone's wedding hair inspo for years to come.
53 Cute Pictures of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle During Their Time as Royals
Image 1 of 53
(Image credit: Getty Images)
September 25, 2017
Event: Prince Harry brought his girlfriend, Meghan, to day 3 of Invictus Games 2017.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
September 25, 2017
Event: Prince Harry brought his girlfriend, Meghan, to day 3 of Invictus Games 2017.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
September 30, 2017
Event: Meghan and Harry attended the final day of the Invictus Games.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
November 27, 2017
Event: Kensington Palace announced Meghan and Harry's engagement.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
November 27, 2017
Event: Kensington Palace announced Meghan and Harry's engagement.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
December 1, 2017
Event: Meghan and Harry make their first public appearance together in Nottingham on World Aids Day.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
December 1, 2017
Event: Meghan and Harry make their first public appearance together in Nottingham on World Aids Day.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
December 21, 2017
Event: Harry and Meghan's official engagement portraits are released.
"What's the absolute cutest pose we can do that will make everyone else jealous?"
Event: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Women's Empowerment reception hosted by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
April 21, 2018
Event: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Invictus Games Reception at Australia House.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
April 21, 2018
Event: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry celebrate the Queen's birthday at Royal Albert Hall in London, where a massive concert event was held in her honor.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
April 23, 2018
Event: Harry and Meghan attended the memorial service of Stephen Lawrence.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
April 25, 2018
Event: Meghan attends a special service with Harry in London honoring Anzac Day.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
April 25, 2018
Event: Harry and Meghan attend another commemoration service at Westminster Abbey, directly following the Anzac Day ceremony.
(Image credit: WPA Pool)
May 19, 2018
Event: Harry and Meghan kiss for the first time in front of the public as husband and wife as they leave from St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England.
(Image credit: Mark Cuthbert)
June 9, 2018
Event: Harry and Meghan attend the Trooping The Colour 2018 in London.
(Image credit: Chris Jackson)
June 19, 2018
Event: Harry and Meghan attending the prize ceremony of Royal Ascot Day 1.
(Image credit: WPA Pool)
July 5, 2018
Event: Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attending the Your Commonwealth Youth Challenge reception at Marlborough House.
(Image credit: Chris Jackson)
July 10, 2018
Event: Meghan and Harry at a event to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force in London.
(Image credit: Charles McQuillan)
July 11, 2018
Event: Harry and Meghan visiting Trinity College on the second day of their official two day royal visit to Ireland. It was their first foreign trip together since their wedding!
(Image credit: Pool)
July 11, 2018
Event: Harry and Meghan meeting a very good boy during their visit to meet President Michael Higgins and his wife Sabina Coyne during their visit to Ireland.
(Image credit: Samir Hussein)
August 4, 2018
Event: Harry and Meghan attending the wedding of Charlie Van Straubenzee in Frensham, United Kingdom wearing some very cool shades.
(Image credit: Chris Jackson)
September 24, 2018
Event: Harry and Meghan smiling while attending the Coach Core Awards held at Loughborough University.
(Image credit: PETER PARKS)
October 17, 2018
Event: Harry and Meghan ran into some rain while on their tour of Dubbo, Australia and gave us this cute shared umbrella shot.
(Image credit: Neil Mockford)
January 14, 2019
Event: Harry and six-months pregnant Meghan, visiting Hamilton Square on January 14, 2019 in Birkenhead, United Kingdom.
(Image credit: Tim P. Whitby)
February 25, 2019
Event: Harry helping Meghan try on a piece of jewelry by holding her ponytail during a visit in Rabat, Morocco.
(Image credit: WPA Pool)
May 8, 2019
Event: Harry and Meghan pose for the first time with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Meghan gave birth to Archie just two days prior on May 6, 2019.
(Image credit: WPA Pool)
June 29, 2019
Event: Harry and Meghan share a chuckle with a gift for Archie from the New York Yankees before their game against the Boston Red Sox at London Stadium.
(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo)
July 10, 2019
Event: Meghan holding Archie while visiting dad, Harry, at the King Power Royal Charity Polo Match. Cuteness overload!
(Image credit: Samir Hussein)
September 23, 2019
Event: Meghan and Harry sharing a bite to eat while visiting the District 6 Museum and Homecoming Centre during their royal tour of South Africa.
(Image credit: HENK KRUGER)
September 25, 2019
Event: Harry and Meghan with Archie at a meeting at the Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town. This is their first official visit as a family since Archie was born.
(Image credit: Samir Hussein)
October 2, 2019
Event: Harry and Meghan visiting Tembisa Township in Tembisa, South Africa.
(Image credit: WPA Pool)
January 7, 2020
Event: Harry and Meghan visiting Canada House to show support and gratitude for their recent stay in Canada.
Event: Harry and Meghan attending the Commonwealth Day Service, their final event as senior royal members.
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Chloe Metzger is the deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, overseeing the editorial content and growth strategy of the hair, makeup, and skin space on digital, while also obsessively writing about the best hair products for every hair type (curly girl here; whattup), and the skincare routines that really, truly work (follow her on Instagram to see behind-the-scenes pics of that magazine life). She brings nearly a decade of writing and editing expertise, and her work has appeared in Allure, Health, Fitness, Marie Claire, StyleCaster, and Parents. She also has an unhealthy adoration for Tom Hanks and would like to please meet him one day, if you could arrange that. Thanks.
