Princess Charlotte Is Our New Summer Hairstyle Inspiration

While Kate Middleton's chic outfits [1] and Meghan Markle's milk-bath manicure [2] understandably made headlines at Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee [3], Princess Charlotte's hairstyles also deserve some recognition. The 7-year-old royal [4] wore various half-up braided hairstyles [5] to events honouring her great-grandmother's 70-year reign as monarch, and we found ourselves zooming in on every paparazzi picture for a closer look. The matching bows! The Gen Z-approved middle part [6]! The perfectly even braids! A hair icon has been born.

The beauty inspiration started flowing on June 2 when Charlotte made her carriage-ride debut [7] at Trooping the Colour alongside her brothers, George and Louis [8]. Wearing a light-blue dress, she had the top portion of her hair pulled back into two medium-size braids on each side, secured in the middle with a ribbon that matched her outfit. Not a hair was out of place as she waved at onlookers and watched the queen's birthday parade from a balcony with her family. While visiting Cardiff Castle in Wales two days later, Charlotte opted for two side french braids [9] that met in the back and morphed into a single, regular braid. And finally, for the Platinum Pageant on June 5, she went back to a classic half-up braided hairstyle fastened with a white ribbon.

Of course, the Platinum Jubilee isn't the first time we've seen Charlotte rocking braids — Middleton once said the hairstyle is the young royal's "favourite" [10] — but seeing her look more grown up than ever at each event made us perceive her hair in a whole new, mature light. It's unclear who's responsible for doing Charlotte's hair for royal outings these days, but either way, her half-up braided styles are making us want to resurrect the nostalgic look this summer and beyond. Ahead, take a closer look at each hairstyle from her busy weekend to soak in all the inspiration.