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    Queen Elizabeth Put "A Huge Amount of Trust" in One Person to Carry Out a "Very Intimate Job"

    "I knew my place."

    Amy Mackelden's avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 5 October 2026 In News

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    Queen Elizabeth has coiffed white hair and is smiling
    (Image credit: Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images/Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
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    Since her death on September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth's legacy has continued to be celebrated. From her impeccable style to the fact that she reigned for seven decades, The Queen was truly one of a kind. And according to a new interview, the monarch trusted one person with a "very intimate job."

    In an interview with Woman and Home, hairdresser Ian Carmichael discussed working with the late Queen.

    "It was a very intimate job and there probably weren't many people who could touch her in such a normal way, as you just didn't touch The Queen," Carmichael explained. "I enjoyed being with her and it was always an honor, but I knew my place."

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    The hairstylist also noted that the monarch put a "huge amount of trust" in him to carry out the job.

    As noted by the publication, Carmichael spent 25 years working for Queen Elizabeth and would regularly wash her hair, "then perm it with rollers and set it." Per the hairdresser, The Queen sometimes asked for an "occasional silver rinse for a bit of shine."

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    Queen Elizabeth wearing a tiara and white gown

    "I enjoyed being with her and it was always an honor, but I knew my place."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    During the pandemic, Queen Elizabeth's dresser and close friend Angela Kelly took over hairdressing duties.

    "From March 2020 onwards I washed The Queen's hair every week, set and styled it, and even trimmed it when needed," the royal dresser said, via Hello! magazine. "My team named it Kelly's Salon."

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    Kelly continued, "The Queen knew I was nervous, and 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."

    Queen Camilla, Queen Elizabeth and Monty Roberts standing with a horse at the Royal Mews

    The Queen sometimes asked for an "occasional silver rinse for a bit of shine."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Basically, The Queen required a very trustworthy person to wash and style her hair, which is unsurprising considering what an "intimate job" it can be.

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    Weekend Editor

    Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

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