Princess Charlene of Monaco’s dramatic new “half-hawk” created a lot of buzz in December.
And now, the royal herself is responding to the debate over the hairstyle she debuted at the end of last year.
The former Olympic swimmer, who is married to Prince Albert II, told the French magazine Point de Vue that the style “was my decision” and that it “pleases me,” though she acknowledged that “it has provoked all kinds of comments.”
“Certainly, of all the members of royal families, I’m probably the one who has tried the most different hairstyles, and I’ll continue. That’s my choice,” the princess said in the interview, as translated by People magazine.
“The remarks of ‘But what is she doing?’ and ‘But it’s not royal!’ — I know these all too well,” she added.
“And I have nothing to say to them, except that we’re in 2021 and that in these times which are so troubling, so difficult, there are other, much more important subjects which deserve our attention.”
“What counts is that Jacques and Gabriella adore seeing their mother with her new style,” Charlene said, referencing the 6-year-old twins she shares with Albert. “And that after the initial surprise wore off, the prince understood and likes it now too.”
HuffPost reached out to Monaco’s press office for additional comment.
Royal style is usually as reserved as one can get. And while it’s rare to see a royal figure take a wild fashion risk or wear something truly shocking, Princess Charlene and Prince Albert were among the few that made our jaws drop with their style choices last year.
In addition to making waves for her recent haircut, Charlene piqued the public’s interest after pairing edgy bangs with a “Joker” mask that read “Why so serious” at a Tour de France event on Aug. 29, 2020.
The mask was upside down for part of the appearance:
Her husband became perhaps the first royal to be pictured wearing Crocs (at least from what we’ve seen in public).
Albert debuted the footwear in photos from the family’s Christmas celebrations:
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