Long before she married Prince Harry, Meghan Markle was already in the spotlight. She was a successful actress years before to becoming the Duchess of Sussex, and that means she has a long history of walking red carpets and having her photo taken by the media. When looking back at some of those older photos, it's so fun to see Meghan's hair journey through the years.
From her early acting days to finding her stride on Suits to stepping into the national spotlight as Prince Harry's girlfriend, Meghan has radiated her beauty every step of the way. She looks good in pretty much any hairstyle (she could honestly probably even rock a mohawk — or a mullet — and still look amazing), but she has her style favorites that have kept coming back over the years.
Meghan Markle's hair evolution — from her Deal or No Deal days, to her final official royal appearance — has been a sight to witness. It's so fun to see which styles she likes to repeat, and how her hairstyles have changed as she's risen through the celebrity ranks.
What we especially love, though, is that many of the duchess' looks are easily replicated at home. She's not out here doing Game of Thrones braids — like Kate Middleton has before. More often than not, Meghan wears a casual 'do. She loves a middle part, a messy bun, a low pony, and free-flowing waves. She's a lady after our own low-key hearts, especially now that she's no longer a working royal.
We'll probably see her in a lot of casual looks.
That said, she can also rock a formal hairstyle with the best of them. Basically she looks good in it all. Here are some of her biggest hairstyle moments from her time in the public eye.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
2006: Model Looks
Once upon a time, Meghan Markle was one of the suitcase models on Deal or No Deal when she was just starting out in the acting industry. The models always had to be all done up, and that included these big pageant-style ringlet curls. Since leaving this job behind her, Meghan has never really returned to this look. It's part of her past, not her present.
2012: Lighter Days
The duchess is well-known for her gorgeous dark hair now, but back in 2012, it was a much lighter color with almost red undertones. Meghan is beautiful in any hairstyle, really, but we're partial to her darker locks. The actress seemed to agree, because she didn't keep this look for long. By early 2013, she'd gone considerably more brunette.
2013: Bun Head
Meghan loves a good messy bun, and she has for years. She previously wore the casual hairstyle to a 2013 Golden Globes party. Usually, the Golden Globes are a dressy occasion, but Meghan has always gone more casual with her hair. This look was really foreshadowing for some of her future fancy royal events, but we'll talk about that in a bit.
Stylish Side Part
Over the years, the duchess has changed up her part a lot. Sometimes, she goes straight down the middle, and other times, she rocks a side part. She had a deep side part here at a 2013 television event, which gave her hair a ton of volume. Meghan's hair also still has some of those reddish undertones left over from her lighter hair days.
Sleek & Straight
Celebs often pull out all the stops for Fashion Week, and Meghan was no different in 2013. She changed up her look with a straight hair day, compared to her usual blown out waves. She paired it with a center part for an overall sleek look that complemented her floral dress, and sky high heels. Meghan Markle has always been a fashionista and a budding style icon.
2015: Low Pony
Much like her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle knows how to rock a ponytail. For a 2015 event, she went with a sleek low pony and then did lots of over-the-shoulder posing to show it off. Years later, she will bring the low pony back, but with her current longer, darker hair — rather than these mid-length locks with the red undertones.
2016: Beautiful Bangs
With shorter layers in the front, Meghan was able to create this bun hairstyle where it looks like she also has side bangs (very chic in 2016). When putting her hair up, Meghan often pulls out these shorter face-framing pieces, rather than going for a sleeker style. It's the casualness coming out that we love about her so much.
2011-2018: 'Suits' Style
She may have been playing a character on Suits, but that character just had Meghan's regular hairstyles. This look is one of Meghan's most worn — blown out waves, and a middle part. It also happened to be the go-to on Suits for her character, Rachel. This style is classy, casual, and effortless. We're glad she kept this look even after leaving the show behind.
2017: Casual Day Out With Harry
When Meghan attended the 2017 Invictus Games with Prince Harry, it was the first time they'd been spotted together in an official capacity since they'd begun dating. Even though it was a major deal, Meghan stayed casual as ever. She wore ripped jeans, a button-front shirt with the sleeves rolled up, sunglasses, and her signature Suits hairstyle.
She looked so cool.
The Post-Engagement Event
If people thought that Meghan would become more formal after getting engaged to Harry, they were wrong. Sure, she can wear a gown with the best of them, but her down-to-earth nature still shone through in every pre-wedding event she had with Harry. Here Meg is with her regular middle-part and wavy hairstyle greeting hundreds of adoring fans — and looking completely unfazed that she's surrounded by paparazzi.
2018: Much Ado About the Updo
When Meghan Markle walked into her wedding in a messy bun, everyone had something to say about it. Some people thought it was too casual of a look for such an important day, but others liked that she stuck to her sense of style and went with something familiar and fun. No matter anyone's feelings about it, there's no doubt that it's an iconic look in the history of royal wedding fashion.
With a Hat
In her first official royal outing, Meghan attended an event for Prince Charles' birthday. She rocked another bun, only this time it was more to the side and a little less messy. Perhaps she was trying to avoid more criticism? Either way, we think the asymmetrical hairstyle was the perfect choice to pair with this asymmetrical hat.
High Bun
The duchess has proved time and time again that she basically owns the bun hairstyle. She can rock any iteration of it — including low and messy, sleek and to the side, and high and mighty. This ballerina bun was a fun addition to her chic black maternity outfit. She can do casual so well, but Meghan also totally pulls off more structured, formal looks.
2019: Off-Duty
Prince William and Prince Harry's polo matches are not official royal events. So when Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle attend, it's as supportive wives and not as working royals. Both women tend to go more casual for the outdoor occasions, and Meghan let her hair down (literally) at the big match in 2019. She could be any celeb mama out for a stroll with her son, she just happened to (at the time) also be royal.
Return of the Side Part
Between all her royal updos and middle parts, we were beginning to wonder if Meghan's side part was gone for good. But she resurrected her old go-to during the South Africa tour she and Harry went on in 2019. It looked just as good on her here as it did in 2013, when she rocked it to a Suits event. She really is just so chic.
Beachy Waves
This is such a different look for the duchess. Her hair is so long here, and the waves are beautifully '70s when paired with the middle part. It's very young Gloria Steinem, minus the glasses. That's pretty fitting, actually, considering that Meghan debuted this look at an event for young leaders. We hope she brings it back soon.
2020: Low Pony, Part 2
The return of the low pony! We love this look on Meghan, and she really amped things up from her 2015 take on the style. For one of her final events as a royal, she went with a sleek, super long pony. This look was for an awards ceremony, but we're not surprised that she went more casual than fancy. We know her M.O. at this point, and no one rocks a low-key hairstyle like she does.
Saying Goodbye
The Commonwealth Day celebrations marked Meghan's final event as a working royal, and she went out like she came in: with a bun. This one is much more sleek than her wedding 'do, and she paired it with a chic green hat. We know this isn't the last we'll see of Meghan, but it may be the last time we see her looking this glammed up for a while.
Zoom Style
Even though she's not a working royal anymore, Meghan hasn't stopped her charity outreach. In April 2020, she did a video call with Smart Works, an organization that helps women prepare for job interviews. For her Zoom chat, she wore a new hairstyle. The crown of her hair is pulled back in what seem to be braids. It's not unlike some of the half-up hairstyles Kate Middleton has worn in her own video chats.
Mom Bun
The messy bun was back in this video for Archie's first birthday. But this time, it seemed more like it was messy, because she's a busy mom — and less because it was a choice. But that's what makes it such a great hairstyle choice. It looks intentional, even when it's purely out of convenience. Meghan laid the groundwork early for her messy bun preference, so we'll never know whether she just didn't have time to do her hair that day, or if she actively chose this look. Clever.
