ROYAL FAMILY NEWSQueen Elizabeth II's Hairstylist Says 'She Put a Huge Amount of Trust' in Him: 'It Was A Very Intimate Job'
Queen Elizabeth II's fashion sense was influential worldwide.
Oct. 9 2026, Updated 6:18 p.m. ET
The late Queen Elizabeth II could be hands-on in many ways. She loved driving, her horsemanship was top-notch, she learned auto repair when she served in uniform in World War II, and there was that one time she was a Bond girl. But there’s one task she never did on her own: her hair.
The woman who was probably the most famous hat-wearer on earth left that job to one person: the royal hairdresser, Ian Carmichael, who attended to her tresses from 1998 until her death in 2022. He recently gave an interview about what it was like working so closely with Her Majesty.
'Occasional Silver Rinse for a Bit of Shine'
The Queen's hair needed to be ready for any occasion.
Her regular routine wasn’t complicated: shampoo, perm with rollers, then set, plus the “occasional silver rinse for a bit of shine.”
Of course, the Queen is famously subject to any number of rules about coming into personal contact, so Carmichael said he respected the rare intimacy of the royal person.
'A Huge Amount of Trust'
The Queen's hats were as familiar a part of her style as her bright colors.
"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," he shared. "I enjoyed being with her and it was always an honor, but I knew my place."
He said she placed a “huge amount of trust” in him.
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Hair, Hats and Handbags
Ian Carmichael would often style the Queen's hair for events of state.
Hair was only one iconic element of the Queen’s famous fashion sense. She preferred wearing bright colors so as to stand out in a crowd, and of course wielded an array of matching hats. Her signature handbags could serve as signals to her staff depending on how she held them.
'I Remain Loyal to Her'
Ian Carmichael refused to disclose what the Queen talked about when he did her hair.
Carmichael received a Royal Warrant in 2012 and was named a member of the Royal Victorian Order, an honor for personal service to the Queen, in 2017. At the time, it was reported he usually did her hair twice a week and accompanied her on foreign visits.
In addition to his royal duties, Carmichael was creative director of the exclusive Royston Blythe at The Dorchester hotel in London and has worked as a stylist at Trevor Sorbie's flagship salon in Covent Garden.
Regarding her secrets and what they talked about in private, though, Carmichael remains a discreet gentleman. “I have done her hair for a very long time and I remain loyal to her,” he said in 2013.
