The surprising reason the Duchess of Cambridge rarely wears her hair up

A reasonable explanation...

Since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry got engaged, the Duchess of Sussex has become well known for her love of up-dos and messy buns.

But her sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge, on the other hand, has somewhat avoided wearing her hair up during her seven years as a royal family member.

Catherine is instead usually seen sporting her hair down, styled in her signature thick, glossy waves. And when she does wear it up, it’s usually to accommodate a hat or a fascinator, for more formal events.

And it turns out, there may actually be an unexpected reason behind the Duchess’ decision to wear her tresses down.

By wearing her hair down, the Duchess is actually concealing a rather large scar on the side of her head.

Credit: Paul Burns/Clarence House via Getty Images

It sits on the left side of her head, just above her ear, and is easily visible if she pins her hair back away from her face.

Several years ago, Kensington Palace confirmed that the scar was actually the result of an operation Catherine had when she was younger.

MORE: Royal fans are loving this adorable video of every time Prince Harry fixed Meghan Markle’s hair

They told ET, “The scar is related to a childhood operation.” However, it’s not known what kind of operation the Duchess had – whether it was medical or cosmetic.

However, we’re sure that Catherine isn’t altogether bothered about the small scar – and likely, simply prefers wearing her long locks down during royal engagements!

Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

But Catherine isn’t the only royal with a noticeable scar on their head.

Her husband, Prince William, has also joked many times in the past about the ‘Harry Potter’ scar he has on his forehead.

The Duke of Cambridge has revealed that his mark was actually brought about by a childhood accident, when he was hit in the head with a golf club at the age of 13. Ouch!

Catherine and William made a return to the public eye over the weekend, after a summer off from royal duties.

The couple were spotted attending a church service near to Balmoral Castle, where they and their three children are currently visiting the Queen and Prince Philip.

It’s thought that the entire Cambridge family will be heading back to London in the next few days, before both Prince George and Princess Charlotte start back at school and nursery.

Anna Bailey
Editor in Chief

Anna Bailey has been the editor of Goodto since 2018. Before joining the team she was Features Editor at MSN UK, where she oversaw Family Health and Days Out. Previously, she was Digital Lifestyle Editor for the broadcaster UKTV, and Lifestyle Editor for ITV.com. Anna studied Multi-Media Journalism at Bournemouth University and went on to gain her NCTJ and NCE  journalism qualifications. Anna is responsible for driving the direction and editorial strategy of Goodto. A mum and experienced baby product tester, she is passionate about providing safe, trustworthy, and relatable advice for families of all kinds.