When you think of royals, you probably don't picture someone going au naturel in
the makeup department. You may never see Queen Elizabeth without her makeup, but many royal
women do actually go out in public without being dolled up. This is how they look when they do.
While many have come around to Camilla Parker Bowles, it's hard to forget how
she came onto the royal scene: as Prince Charles' mistress. As NBC News explained,
she wasn't exactly beloved back in those days.
Despite the obstacles in front of her, Parker Bowles, who is now married to Charles,
has been working hard over the years to transform the public's perception of her. According to NBC
News, she fulfilled 221 public engagements in just 2016 alone. Only her now-husband Charles
and the queen participated in more. Not only that but Parker Bowles has literally transformed.
Hello! magazine reported that the Parker Bowles of the 1990s was very different from the Parker
Bowles of today. Back then, the paparazzi were more likely to find her wearing, quote, "loafers
and old, patterned socks," which was a stark contrast from Princess Diana's glitz and glamour.
Hello! also reported that one British newspaper in 1992 had the audacity to write:
"She always looks as if she had just stepped off a horse.
She never wears make-up and doesn't care too much about clothes."
Ouch. You'd be hard-pressed to find a bare-faced Parker Bowles these days,
but she has never commented on why she made the change.
Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson — much like Camilla Parker Bowles — seems to prefer a modest makeup look.
The makeup similarities between her and Parker Bowles don't end there.
Ferguson was caught up in multiple controversies, including money troubles,
a royal affair while married to Prince Andrew, and even her weight. It was during
this tumultuous time in her life that Ferguson seemed to forgo heavy makeup.
"Everyday somebody writes absolute diabolical things about me. But I know that's not me."
Still, Ferguson has a good outlook on the past. In an interview with a Swedish magazine, she said:
"If I could turn back time, I still wouldn't change anything."
While married to Andrew, Ferguson had two children — Princesses Eugenie and
Beatrice. Not afraid to toot her own horn, Ferguson also told the magazine:
"I am very proud of my beautiful girls and we have a good relationship.
They're evidence of good parenting, I'd say."
Ferguson is frequently seen with her daughters,
and all three seem to keep their makeup looks in check.
Princess Eugenie is royal with style. Although she's usually all made up,
she occasionally braves the world with a much more natural look. When completing an overnight 63-mile
long charity bike ride, she opted for only a little eyeliner and mascara, it seems.
Can you blame her? A grueling ride like that would no doubt have taken her makeup off anyway.
By the end of the ride, Express reported that the princess raised nearly $14,080 for the Royal
National Orthopaedic Hospital in London — a cause dear to Eugenie's heart. Just ten years earlier,
Eugenie underwent a seven-hour spinal surgery to correct her severe scoliosis.
Imagine having had 8-inch rods in your spine,
over inch-long screws in your neck, and then going on to ride over 60 miles on a bicycle.
And look great doing so? Impressive doesn't even begin to describe her remarkable feat.
Her makeup artist, Hannah Martin, who did her wedding makeup in 2018 too,
told Hello! magazine that Eugenie's skin is primed using:
"A little Becca Backlight Priming Filter or Tata Harper Illuminating
Moisturiser to instantly get that longed-for radiance. The soft pearl particles help to
bounce and [reflect] light giving your skin that [lit] from within radiance."
It certainly seems to be working!
Princess Beatrice, the oldest daughter of Prince Andrew and
Sarah Ferguson — and therefore tenth in line for the throne — shares a passion for fashion
much like her sister, Eugenie. At times, however, that has led to bullying.
Beatrice said when speaking at a charity event:
"Growing up in the public eye means that every embarrassing, slightly awkward
growth spurt, or hilarious fashion moment are published around the world."
Growing up royal may not be a problem many of us have, but almost everyone
either knows firsthand or can imagine the effect bullying has on one's self-esteem.
Nevertheless, that doesn't stop Beatrice — or her sister — from going out in public
donning interesting outfits. In fact, the royal sisters are often photographed together,
both sporting amazing dresses, hats and tasteful makeup. When attending the 2012 Olympics, however,
both sisters reportedly decided to forgo foundation.
Both Beatrice and Eugenie — along with their mother — wore appropriate
"toned down" looks for the event, cheering on their favorite athletes — one of whom,
of course, was their cousin, Zara Tindall— while she participated in the equestrian competition.
Could Olympian Zara Tindall's ability to rock the modest makeup look have inspired Princess Eugenie
and Princess Beatrice to attend the 2012 games dressed down? It's hard to say
but it's not beyond the realm of possibilities.
Although she does not have an official royal title, Tindall is the queen's granddaughter,
which also makes her the cousin of Prince Harry and Prince William.
Despite being of the royal bloodline, Tindall has made a name for herself in quite a different way:
as an equestrian — an Olympic equestrian. Pretty amazing.
Although you will see Tindall looking glamorous from time to time,
she seems equally comfortable going about her days with her hair down or pulled into a simple bun and
with very little makeup. And why shouldn't she? Her skin looks absolutely healthy and radiant.
That said, please share your skincare secrets with us, Zara! We must know.
If you happen to follow Princess Diana's niece, Lady Kitty Spencer, on Instagram, you'll know
she loves the glam life. At just 27, Spencer began modeling for Dolce & Gabbana and she's been seen
with heavy makeup in many of their advertisements. Although there's nothing wrong with that,
she isn't always dressed to the nines and sporting smoky eyes, contoured cheeks, and red lipstick.
In one post, Spencer shared a selfie while on vacation in Royal Malewane,
a safari lodge in South Africa, without worrying about being bare-faced,
or close to it. One Instagram user even commented:
"You are so beautiful without makeup!"
She has also shared other photos of herself with little-to-no makeup,
including one en route to Perth. and another while at the beach with friends. Spencer doesn't have
to share her no-makeup selfies with the world, of course, but it's pretty cool that she does.
In May 2018, Meghan Markle became royalty after marrying Prince Harry.
Despite her relatively humble beginnings, it's difficult to find an unflattering image of Markle
on the web — not that you should try to find one, of course. She seems to have
a constant glow, whether she's wearing a full face of makeup or none at all.
These days, you'll often notice Markle with a bit of makeup on but she never goes overboard.
There's a reason Markle prefers the barely-there or even no-makeup look: her freckles.
She explained in a 2017 interview with Allure:
"To this day. My pet peeve is when my skin tone is changed and my freckles are airbrushed out."
Markle's former hairstylist and makeup artist Lydia F. Sellers agreed,
telling Refinery29 in an interview:
"Every time I'd do her makeup, she'd say,
'Can we just make sure my freckles are peeking through? I don't want a ton of foundation.'"
Way to embrace what you've got, Megs!
Lady Amelia Windsor has become something of a cult icon thanks to, as Marie Claire notes,
her love of tequila, tattoos, and cheesy chat-up lines.
"Three tequilas!"
"Sure, sure amigo. Enjoy yourselves. But try not to get into too much trouble."
The daughter of the Earl and Countess of St. Andrews is frequently spotted in London
proudly displaying her blemish-free skin in all its glory. She revealed that using toner — or
more specifically, Ren's Glow Tonic — has, quote, "totally transformed" her complexion.
Her biggest makeup tip, in fact, is less is more,
reasoning it's better to simply care for and protect your skin.
She ensures regular LED facials are a part of her routine. Daily sunblock is also a must.
Considering how much time and effort Lady Amelia dedicates to taking care of her skin,
it's unsurprising she's often seen with very little makeup on. The model admitted her take
on beauty has changed over the years in an interview with Harper's Bazaar, explaining:
"I used to spend a lot of time in the sun and I now realize that is just not a good idea."
Clearly, she's not afraid to change up her routine to take care of herself and her skin.
Although Kate Middleton is not one to sport winged eyeliner and false lashes,
she is normally seen out and about looking fresh-faced with the help of some foundation,
blush, and eyeliner. Same thing when she and Prince William toured Pakistan in 2019.
Even while touring freezing cold Scandinavian countries, Middleton
was committed to her minimal makeup style. A long day of official royal business in Oslo,
most of which was outside, made it challenging for Middleton to keep her usual glow. Of course,
the Duchess still looked amazing and she didn't seem to mind much.
She even helped bring smiles to some local nursery children at an event organized by the Norwegian
Ski Federation. And People reported that the Duchess even threw some snowballs at her husband,
Prince William — which you'd have to imagine was the most adorable Royal snowball fight
ever. Could Middleton have taken a break to reapply her makeup? Probably. But it's pretty
cool that she didn't seem to care. It's her big smile and minimal makeup that won the day!
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus,
even more List videos about your favorite Royals are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.