In defence of Princess Diana's 'terrible' hair: Bad hairstyle or the look of the 80s?

Princess Diana's mid-80s hairstyle: Like many other high profile people of the time, not least the Royals, her hair was styled without one strand out of place. Photo / Getty Images

In an interview with the Telegraph this week, the 84-year-old photographer David Bailey was reliably outspoken about his experience photographing the royals. The Queen, he said, had "beautiful skin", but Princess Diana on the other hand had "terrible hair" when he shot her in the mid-eighties. He remarked, "You know, from the hairspray - solid as a plastic dummy."

But then again, this was the 80s. Diana was often under intense spotlight, both literally and figuratively. Like many other high profile people of the time, not least the royals, her hair was styled without one strand out of place. There also seemed to be half a dozen hairdressing techniques crammed into one look: feathers, layers and backcombing, all secured in place with what seemed to be half a can of the most globally-famous hairspray, L'Oreal's Elnett. Like I said, it was the eighties.

Things changed for the Princess in the nineties, when she formed a close-knit working relationship with notable British hairdresser Sam McKnight and make-up artist Mary Greenwell, both of whom are still at the top of their games 30 years later. It was McKnight who chopped all of Diana's hair off.

Princess Diana's mid-80s hairstyle: Like many other high profile people of the time, not least the Royals, her hair was styled without one strand out of place. Photo / Getty Images

He has previously told the Telegraph that when speaking about her hair in the eighties, Diana "knew that when she did all her appearances the public wanted to see her do the princess-thing". Ready for a change in the nineties, McKnight shared a discussion the pair had. "She said, 'what would you do if I gave you free reign?' I said, 'cut it short', and she said, could you do it now?'"

The resultant slicked-back, modern crop was the turning point for Diana's image: she was well on her way to becoming a fashion darling of the time. Indeed, it wasn't just her hair that changed in look and feel. In the eighties Diana was often photographed with a cobalt-blue eyeliner in her waterline. Of course she did; at the time, blue eyeliners were flying off the shelves and were one of the most defining make-up products of the decade.

The first time Greenwell met Diana was on a shoot in 1990 for a Vogue cover with the photographer Patrick Demarchelier. The duo - McKnight and Greenwell - were booked to work with a celebrity that day but "we weren't told who it was until five minutes before", Greenwell has said. It was Greenwell who moved Diana on from the eighties blue eyeliner, in favour of minimalist tones more popular in the nineties, such as taupes and chocolatey browns. Certainly more flattering tones for any complexion, these neutral tones have enduring appeal and are just as popular 30 years on.

By the mid-nineties, Diana had certainly left behind any remnants of the old-fashioned make-up and hair styling of the eighties. Photo / Getty Images

By the mid-nineties, Diana had certainly left behind any remnants of the old-fashioned make-up and hair styling of the eighties. We only need to look at her arriving at the CDFAs (Council of Fashion Designers of America) in New York in 1995 with wet-look hair and a flattering berry lipstick to see the difference a decade makes. Daring for the time, not least for royalty. McKnight has commented previously that she was nervous of a slicked back appearance, because "like many women, she used to hide behind her hair". But not any more.

So was her hair really terrible in the eighties? Perhaps. But it was the look, style and expectation of the time. Diana's beauty evolved in the subsequent years - as it did for most people - growing more self-assured in beauty choices with age.