The Stunning Hair Transformation Of Meghan Markle

Here at Glam, we adore Meghan Markle, not just because the Duchess of Sussex is the epitome of beauty, style, and grace — essentially all things that Glam stands for — but also because of her resilience and strength, which she has showcased over and over again. "I feel very confident that you can be a feminist and still be feminine, you can be a sexual creature and a mum and run a company," Markle told Gritty Pretty in 2015. "I think it's a sad misconception that the second you have more intellectual prowess or become a CEO that suddenly those other facets [like beauty or fashion] of being a woman go out of the window. You truly can find a way to have it all — and all of those elements make us interesting and dynamic."

And while we love everything Markle stands for, today we are focusing (mostly) on her hair — although not mentioning the former actor's personality and life is impossible, so there's some of that sprinkled throughout as well. Markle's hair changes have never been drastic (at least not in the way those of stars like Miley Cyrus or Kristen Stewart have been). No, Markle has always stuck to hairstyles she loves and knows work for her, but she has played around with hair lengths and hair colors over the years. 

Meghan Markle was born and spent her childhood in Los Angeles, California, which certainly makes her choice to pursue a career in Hollywood much less surprising. "I knew I wanted to do acting, but I hated the idea of being this cliché — a girl from LA who decides to be an actress," Markle admitted years later to Marie Claire. "I wanted more than that, and I had always loved politics, so I ended up changing my major completely, and double-majoring in theater and international relations." Markle's first acting gig was in 1995 on "Married... with Children." However, as that was an uncredited cameo, many refer to her appearance on "General Hospital" in 2002 as her actual first acting role.

By the second half of the 2000s, Markle had found her way into the industry as she had been guest-starring in numerous shows and even appearing in movies. At the time, the actor was in her late 20s, and even though the aughts are known for being a funky and vibrant fashion and beauty era, Markle kept her look simple. Whenever spotted at events and red carpets, she rocked sleek and shiny hair, which perfectly complemented her natural beauty. In fact, with her gorgeous smile and adorable freckles that were always peeking through her makeup — Meghan Markle was the epitome of a thriving and happy woman.

At the end of the 2000s, Meghan Markle was still mostly working on television projects and her big break hadn't happened just yet. During the time, the actor was still rocking her signature layered straight hair with subtle side bangs. However, as the 2010s were approaching, it seemed as if she decided to add some very subtle highlights to it — slowly changing her hair towards a chocolate brown.

Of course, in the 2000s, all of us fell victim to the constant hair straightening, and it seems as if Markle was also no exception. As someone who has naturally curly hair, Markle was always spotted with sleek locks. And while most of us suffered from the aftermath of consistent straightening at the time, the actor's hair always looked healthy and voluminous. This definitely makes us wonder whether Markle was doing keratin treatments even back then, especially as her hair always seemed to remain straight throughout the night.

In 2011, Meghan Markle's career skyrocketed as she began portraying paralegal Rachel Zane in the legal drama series "Suits." "I'd gone and auditioned and I thought it was one of the worst auditions I had ever done and didn't realize that behind closed doors, they disagreed with me on that fact ..." Markle admitted to Larry King in a 2013 interview (via YouTube). Little did the star know that her role in "Suits" would become her most well-known work in the industry. In addition to the show, Markle was now also appearing in more prominent Hollywood projects like "Remember Me" and "Horrible Bosses."

With the shift in her career also came a shift in her look — the actor was now adding even more highlights to her hair, and this time, they seemed to have a more copper undertone. While her haircut remained the same, the star experimented more with hairstyling as she alternated between straight hair and subtle curls. One thing that remained constant, though, is that Meghan Markle's hair always looked effortlessly pretty and chic.

Having gotten tired of lighter hair, Meghan Markle decided to go for a drastic change in 2013 when she embraced a dark brunette hair color — you know, the kind that is often mistaken for black. In a 2013 interview with L'Oréal, Markle revealed what her favorite hairstyles were. "I love hair in a really high top knot, a little messy, but I think men really love hair down," she said. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't try to change things up and do something different — either tied up or down with waves or stick straight. I just like to have fun with it."

And while the actor was indeed switching up her hair styling, one thing remained constant — her locks continued looking healthy and shiny. And even though Markle always looked perfectly put-together, there was an inherent effortlessness and laid-backness to her, one we're pretty sure has a lot to do with her upbringing. "I will say that I am such a California girl, and in real life [I'm] as minimal and relaxed as it comes," the star told Glamour in 2013. "LA is my home, born and raised there."

In 2015, Meghan Markle's hair remained dark and long, but one thing we couldn't help but notice was how easily the star switched between a middle and a side part. She usually rocked her hair straight with the middle part for a look that was both classic and modern. And when the actor wanted to go a more messy and edgy route, she'd rock a deep side part with tousled waves that helped her achieve that perfect bed-head hair.

To no one's surprise, both hairstyles suited Markle wonderfully while also giving her a completely different vibe. While the star always looked stunning, now in her mid-30s, she exuded major confidence. The star's career in the entertainment industry was still thriving thanks to her role in "Suits," but one thing that no one could predict was that she was about to retire from acting very soon — at least for a while.

2016 marked a very important year in Meghan Markle's life, as that was when she began her relationship with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Their romance was instantly in the spotlight, and it was noticeable that Markle became much more private. However, even though her life was drastically changing, she continued advocating for humans by sharing her story. In her piece for Elle, she opened up about what being a mixed-race woman felt like. "Just as black and white, when mixed, make gray, in many ways that's what it did to my self-identity: It created a murky area of who I was, a haze around how people connected with me. I was gray," she wrote. "And who wants to be this indifferent color, devoid of depth and stuck in the middle? I certainly didn't. So you make a choice: continue living your life feeling muddled in this abyss of self-misunderstanding, or you find your identity independent of it."

As far as Markle's hair goes, it remained the same in length and just slightly lighter in color, but one thing that changed was her favorite hairstyle. While the star always looked put-together and chic, in 2016, she took that to the next level by channeling Old Hollywood. She didn't wear this look exclusively, but she rocked it often enough that it surely seemed like she was very fond of it. With a deep side part and gorgeous big curls at the bottom of her hair, Meghan Markle was serving us a hairstyle that is just as timeless as her beauty.

In late 2017, Meghan Markle got engaged to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and in May 2018, the two tied the knot in a royal ceremony that left us all in awe. Now a royal, Markle seemingly gave up acting as she had other obligations bestowed upon her. "I don't see it as giving anything up. I just see it as a change," the Duchess of Sussex told BBC in 2017 (via YouTube). "It's a new chapter. Right? And also keep in mind I've been working on my show for seven years. So, we were very, very fortunate to have that sort of longevity on a series ... I have ticked this box and I feel really proud of the work I've done there and now it's time to ... work as a team with you [Harry]."

As for her hair, Markle remained true to what suits her best — a natural brown color and subtle layers. However, now, as a member of the royal family, the hairstyles she wore were often a tad more classy and refined — and her overall style changed as well. More often than not, we'd see Markle rocking a gorgeous updo or wearing an intricate hat — something that is a staple in royal fashion. One of Markle's hairstylists, Theonie Kakoulli, revealed to People in 2018 that the royal frequently does keratin treatments. "Meghan came to see me at least twice for keratin treatments," Kakoulli said. "It's great for people with naturally curly hair like Meghan, it takes the frizz out and makes it more manageable — she said it made a real difference."

Even though Meghan Markle has rocked long hair since the beginning of her career, she decided to take her length a notch further in 2019 by exploring what even longer hair has to offer. And even though cassy updos and hats remained a big part of her style, the star also brought back some of that casual California-girl look by frequently going for loose waves.

"One of my signature styles is the undone wave, as seen on the Duchess of Sussex and many of my other clients," Markle's hairstylist George Northwood told Vogue in 2020. "This makes hair look chic and naturally effortless without that overly straight or overly curly look. As the style looks natural, it will help to give the impression of healthier hair. It can also hide a multitude of sins, such as hair in need of a good trim, as you can get away with it looking a bit more unruly." And while we doubt that the royal's hair was damaged, we have to admit that we adore seeing Markle with a slightly more disheveled and messy hairstyle.

The beginning of 2020 marked a major change in Meghan Markle's life, as she and her husband Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, decided to step down from their royal duties in January. With this, the couple eventually moved to Los Angeles, California, where they ended up spending most of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, even with fewer royal duties, Markle still looked like a true princess — even though her style underwent some changes following her transition from the royal family. Her hair remained long and luscious, often styled in simple yet elegant hairstyles like high buns and low ponytails. In March 2020, George Northwood shared just how much he enjoyed working with the star on Instagram. "It has been an enormous privilege and a lot of fun working with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex over the past two years," Northwood wrote in the caption. "I have enjoyed every minute collaborating with this amazing couple who not only champion small businesses, but have taught me so much about diversity, equality and the importance of good mental health."

A sleek low bun has been incredibly popular in recent years, and not even Meghan Markle was able to withstand the trend. In 2022, Markle was frequently rocking the popular and easy hairstyle, proving just how versatile the look is.

In an episode of her "Archetypes" podcast, the Duchess of Sussex opened up about having curly hair to her guest, singer Mariah Carey. "My hair is so curly and it's so thick," Markle admitted to Carey. "I just remember as a child, because my mom's Black, and so my grandma Jeanette would do my hair. She'd go, 'Just hold onto the sink,' and I would grip my little hands on both sides." Having shared similar experiences, the two bonded over how their hair was handled when they were children. "You have no luxury of being tender-headed because she would take the brush and just whoosh, whoosh and tie it," Markle added. Of course, since the star has been doing certain hair treatments for years (we suspect even since the aughts), we never got to see her real hair texture apart from in a few throwback photos from her childhood featured in the 2022 Netflix series "Harry & Meghan."

Having settled into her life after stepping down from royal duties, Meghan Markle also slightly changed her hair. Living in California, where she was born and raised, certainly impacted the star's subtle shift towards more laid-back and beachy hairstyles. Of course, Markle was still as classy as ever, but tousled waves went from an occasional hairstyle to what seemed like a daily staple.

Now in her early 40s, the Duchess of Sussex is proof that once you figure out what hair color and style you like, there really isn't any pressure to change it — unless you want to. And while she switches things up by opting for slightly different lengths and shades of brown, the most common changes in her hair remain those achieved through daily styling. And 2023 was all about shine and slight movement. It certainly seems as if George Northwood's signature look left a lasting impact on the royal.

Today, Meghan Markle is all about staying true to herself while still having some fun with her look. In 2024, Markle's makeup artist Daniel Martin revealed to Us Weekly that the star actually often does her makeup and hair — and that he loves witnessing it. "I feel like when I'm not with her, she has more room to play," he told the outlet. "I think that's the fun thing when you see her, like, she's in Nigeria right now. It's just her. There's no stylist, there's no hairdresser. She's doing everything herself and she's so good at it."

One hair change that may have gone unnoticed by many just because it's so subtle is Markle's new hair color — a brown with red and gold undertones. Highbrow Hippie, the hair salon responsible for Markle's hair, shared a carousel of photos of the royal on Instagram, captioning it, "This mixture of red and golden undertones makes a dynamic shade of brunette that not only gives skin the healthiest glow, especially during the colder months of winter, it also provides the hair with a next level high power shine." And while we'd be shocked to see a drastic and dramatic hair change from Meghan Markle in the future, we're still incredibly excited to see just how the Duchess of Sussex continues spicing up her hair in her signature subtle way!