Princess Diana’s former hairdresser, Richard Dalton, has released a memoir, It’s All About the Hair—My Decade with Diana, co-authored by Renae Plant, curator of The Princess Diana Museum. In the book, Dalton reveals never-before-shared stories of his time with the late royal—and it’s filled with heartfelt memories.
“As a loyal subject to the royal family, I never shared anything publicly until now to protect her,” Dalton told People. “I am 76 years old, [the] same age as [King] Charles, and I wanted to document my real story. [It’s] not a hairdresser’s job to kiss and tell. Now I feel comfortable—27 years have passed, and nothing in my book is detrimental to Diana’s character. Just wonderful memories.”
Ahead, we’re diving into some of Dalton’s most unforgettable moments with Princess Diana and the little-known details he reveals—from her one hair regret and memories of Prince Harry’s first haircut to the favorite hairstyle he ever brought to life for her.
Princess Diana’s Wedding Hair Was Apparently a ‘Disaster’
Dalton wasn’t responsible for Diana’s wedding day hair and he admits, in the book, that it was “a disaster.” As told to People, “Diana did express to me that she wished she could do the wedding over again to ‘get the hair right.’ However, she never mentioned any other regrets while I did her hair.”
Recalling Prince Harry’s Almost Disastrous First Haircut
“The first time I cut Harry’s hair, the windows were open, and I was holding his lock of reddish hair, thinking, ‘Oh, if this blows away, I’m in trouble. I’ll be put in the Tower of London,’” Dalton told the outlet. Fortunately, the hair stayed put. “It didn’t,” he wrote in the book, “and Diana placed it in her baby books.”
Reflecting on His Favorite Princess Diana Hair Moment
Dalton’s favorite hairstyle he created for Diana? “I loved taking risks with Diana’s hair by trying new things like the orchards in Thailand,” he told the magazine, referring to her floral updo in February 1988. “I literally went around the hotel all day pinching orchids from the floral arrangements to use as accessories in Diana’s hair to match her dress,” he elaborated in the book. “Whatever I saw, I took—and nobody stopped me. Eventually, I got all the colors I wanted to use—they represented Thailand and also matched her dress.”
The final look was truly remarkable. “Fresh flowers had never been done before, and she looked sensational that night,” Dalton told People, adding, “and she knew it.”
