Serena Williams Had Her Hair Braided in Her Sleep for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Wedding

Multitasking at its finest.

serena williams royal wedding hair
(Image credit: Ian West/Getty)

Rewind to May 19, 2018, and the royal wedding was quite literally the only topic of conversation. We obsessed over Meghan Markle’s natural makeup—of course. But let us not forget, there were hundreds of guests with equally as gorgeous glam, including the one and only Serena Williams. The tennis pro arrived at Windsor Castle with braids that fell well below her butt, and that’s not an exaggeration. Curious as to how this hairstyle came together in a time crunch? Let’s just say Williams got a royal treatment. 

“What’s so iconic about this is, I was like, ‘Royal wedding? I’m definitely wearing braids.' There were two or three girls braiding my hair and I was so tired. I was like, ‘I’m going to sleep,’” the S by Serena founder said in her Life in Looks video with Vogue. “So I lied down and they just kept braiding until the morning. They finally finished. It was a very long process, but it was so worth it.” 

serena williams royal wedding hair

(Image credit: Ian West/Getty)

Now, given the sheer time and dedication that went into creating the gorgeous braids, Williams was determined to make sure her hair got its well-deserved time in the spotlight. So, she kept them in for her first Grand Slam competition after having her daughter Olympia. “This was right after the royal wedding and I was like, ‘I worked so hard at those braids, I’m gonna keep ‘em in.’ So I kept ‘em in,” she said. 

When it comes to caring for her hair, Williams, who wears her natural on the regular, gets all her shopping done at Target. “They literally have everything,” she previously told Yahoo!. “Anything that says curls, manage your curls, proud of your curls, I’m drawn to it…I feel like there’s so much out there for natural hair and curly hair and Black hair, which I love. I’ve literally tried everything, from Miss Jessie’s to Curls. I have a whole cabinet full of products.”  

Samantha Holender
Beauty Editor

Samantha Holender is the Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.