uchess Sophie can always be relied upon to attend royal occasions looking elegant and put together, and Monday’s Order of the Garter service was no different.

Attending the Windsor Castle event, Prince Edward’s wife twisted her blonde hair into a pleated chignon – a modern and unique twist on the classic chignon, which is a favourite among the royal ladies, including her sister-in-law, Princess Anne, who has made the smart style part of her brand identity.

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Quite at odds with the Princess of Wales’ long and loose hair (which recently came under fire for being “unprofessional”), Duchess Sophie’s updo was no match for the wind, with hair stylist Sam McKnight MBE noting: “A chignon is a strong and powerful move”.

Sam, who styled the late Princess Diana’s hair, continued: “Chignons are a classic style staple for a reason, incredibly versatile and easily tailored to suit all different hair types and textures. There’s a chignon for everyone, and as we move into warmer weather, it’s a chic, effortless style go-to.”

On the power of the pleated chignon, he added: “A chignon is similar to what a red lipstick does. You instantly look pulled together, ready to take on whatever comes your way.”

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Duchess Sophie’s individual take

While she always complies with royal etiquette, Duchess Sophie does tend to make more daring fashion choices than some of the other royals, with head-to-toe animal print a favourite look for the 61-year-old, so it’s not a surprise that she added her own twist to the classic chignon, pleating her hair for a modern take – something Sam McKnight says is part of the strength of a chignon.

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“There are so many ways to wear a chignon,” he says. “Go high for a more classic, old Hollywood feel, or straight back, mid height for that effortless vibe, whereas low into the nape has an air of romance to it.”

With the Duchess of Edinburgh’s chignon braided low on her neck, she’s certainly leaned into the romantic vibe Sam is talking about, and it works beautifully with her printed floral dress, statement hat and pink shawl.

A hairdo debate

As mentioned, Princess Kate’s recent decision to wear her hair ultra long and wavy caused a flurry of comments from HELLO! readers, who said it was “unprofessional” to wear it loose for formal occasions.

While we doubt the Princess of Wales is concerned with a few detractors’ thoughts on the length of her hair nor the style she chooses to wear it in, she did style her hair in a sophisticated updo on Saturday for the Trooping the Colour, with one reader saying it was due to the formality of the event – but if this is the case, surely the Garter service would also call for a “professional” hairstyle, a’la her husband’s aunt, Duchess Sophie?

As ever, we’ll be keeping a watchful eye on HRH’s hair to keep you updated on her ‘do.