Royal Beauty Secrets: Tips from Princesses and Duchesses

Royalty is always in the spotlight, with every appearance meticulously scrutinized by the public. As a result, they must look impeccable in any situation, thanks to their unique beauty secrets.

Cleopatra

The Egyptian queen Cleopatra is still considered one of the most beautiful women in the world. Portrayed on screen by Elizabeth Taylor and Monica Bellucci, much is known about her beauty secrets.

Cleopatra nourished her skin with milk baths, adding a cup of honey to every liter of hot milk. She used scrubs made from sea salt mixed with cream.

For hair beauty, Cleopatra used egg yolks mixed with honey and almond oil, which she applied to her hair roots and rinsed off—a precursor to modern shampoo.

To maintain her figure, Cleopatra followed a cleansing regimen: every two weeks, she drank 100 ml of a mixture of lemon juice and olive oil, followed by a special abdominal massage to stimulate blood flow.

For cosmetics, Cleopatra used natural minerals: she defined her eyebrows with a mixture of lead sulfide and animal fats and used red iron oxide pigment as lipstick.

Elizabeth I

British Queen Elizabeth I was known for her beauty, highlighted by her fiery red hair. Legend has it that she had many lovers, and her life has been depicted in several films, including one where she was played by Cate Blanchett.

One of Elizabeth's beauty secrets was her incredibly pale skin. She made it a trend and always stayed out of the sun. Dissatisfied with her natural color, she applied a mixture of egg whites, powdered eggshell, poppy, and alum to her skin.

Marie Antoinette

Austrian princess and later French queen, Marie Antoinette was famed for her beauty and elaborate hairstyles. She adored luxurious outfits, shoes, and sweets.

For her skin, Marie Antoinette used plants: she added rose petals, lilies, jasmine, orange blossom, violets, irises, and daffodils to her creams and baths. She also made floral water from these plants to cleanse her face.

The French queen was very hygienic, often taking baths with a mix of sweet almonds, pine nuts, flaxseeds, marshmallow root, and lily bulbs.

Marie Antoinette's diet has recently gained popularity: sweet lovers can enjoy pastries and cakes, but only in small portions and only in the morning.

Empress Sisi of Austria

Austrian Empress Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie, affectionately known as Sisi, took great pride in her almost floor-length hair. To strengthen and shine her hair, she applied a mixture of egg yolk and brandy to the roots and treated split ends with an infusion of nettle, lemon, and apple cider vinegar.

Her skincare secrets were unusual: she placed raw meat on her face, covered it with a leather mask, and slept in it. For body care, Sisi wrapped her hips in vinegar-soaked cloths at night to maintain skin firmness. She also loved rose water, which was stored in large vats and bottled beautifully for her use.

At the Vienna Museum, you can see Sisi's "meat juicer"—a device used to extract juice from meat. Yes, the empress drank vegetable and fruit juices and added game juice, raw eggs, and fresh milk to her diet.

Grace Kelly

Princess Grace was an incredibly refined woman who loved elegant and comfortable outfits. Her fascinating and tragic life still captivates people worldwide.

One of the beauty secrets of the Princess of Monaco was natural makeup: she avoided bright colors, instead emphasizing specific features with subtle shades. She highlighted her eyebrows with light brown shadows, slightly darker than her natural hair color. Grace Kelly used blush strategically: applying a light shade to the cheekbones and a darker shade underneath to enhance them. She also maintained her fair skin by always wearing hats, even in the hot climate of Monaco.

Princess Diana

A few years ago, Princess Diana's makeup artist, Mary Greenwell, shared Diana's beauty secrets, which she learned from 1991 until the princess's death.

The first thing Mary did was tell Diana that blue eyeliner makes blue eyes look smaller. Princess Diana meticulously cared for her skin, removing all makeup before bed and constantly moisturizing her face. Her makeup routine included concealer for the eye area, mascara, illuminating blush, and lipstick.

But the most important aspects of Princess Diana's beauty were a healthy diet, proper sleep, and regular physical activity.

Kate Middleton

Every step of Duchess Kate is followed worldwide, her outfits are hotly discussed in the press, and they quickly disappear from store shelves. Naturally, fans of Her Royal Highness are eager to learn the beauty hacks of the future queen consort.

One of Kate Middleton's most crucial beauty secrets is a balanced diet that helps her maintain a perfect figure: she eats oatmeal for breakfast and lean meat with vegetables for dinner. Before her wedding, Kate followed Pierre Dukan's diet, which skyrocketed in popularity thanks to her.

For skincare, Kate uses a high-content bee venom mask as an alternative to Botox.

Kate does her makeup herself, even for her wedding. Her main focus is on her eyes. She uses brown eyeliner to create subtle lines and mascara to define her lashes.

Her hairstylist shared that smoothing serum should be added to damp hair before blow-drying with a wide brush to keep the hair sleek and the hairstyle in place.

Queen Letizia

There have been many rumors about Queen Letizia's eating habits, suggesting that her perfect figure was due to food issues. However, she loves Italian cuisine but sticks to fruits and vegetables in the evening. She and her daughters eat five pieces of any fruit daily. She adds cheese and ham to her salads and eats soups and stews.

To maintain her figure, Her Majesty does Pilates and swimming. The palace even has a fully equipped gym where the queen and palace staff work out.

For skincare, Letizia gets facial peels. While there have been rumors of multiple plastic surgeries, she has only had one to correct a deviated septum in 2008.

Charlotte Casiraghi

Granddaughter of Grace Kelly, Charlotte Casiraghi, became popular not just because of her famous grandmother; she is a style icon and role model herself.

Charlotte maintains her figure through lifelong horseback riding and is the honorary president of the Monte Carlo Show Jumping Association.

She constantly hydrates her skin and emphasizes her eyes and lips in makeup. Charlotte's favorite lipstick is bright red.