When Kate Middleton visited London’s Natural History Museum last week, much of the internet fixated on her hair.
The Princess of Wales debuted a much lighter hue than her usual brown locks, and there appeared to be more length and volume as well. Some royal watchers applauded the fresh change, praising its vibrancy and warmth, while others declared their distaste for the look and speculated about wigs and extensions in comment sections across the internet.
The response took such a nasty turn that Princess Diana’s hairdresser was compelled to post a response to the haters on Instagram, where he reminded the public of the royal’s cancer treatment and recovery.
“I’m sure she would rather be away from the public arena,” Sam McKnight wrote. “She has brilliantly and quietly, unselfishly represented our country, the soft power we still have as a nation. Cancer affects individuals differently, but is life-changing for everyone. So FFS LEAVE HER ALONE. SHAME ON YOU.”
It wasn’t the first time the Princess of Wales ― or any woman in the public eye ― has been picked apart for her hair, and it won’t be the last. But it exemplifies a larger pattern of our time: the tendency for ordinary people to lob mean-spirited comments toward and about public figures online.
