Belgian Royalty: Regent Charles


Figure 1.--Prince Charles wore a frilly white dress with eyelet lace at the age of 4 or 5. He also wears a wide-brimmed sailor hat.

Queen Elizabeth styled the boys hair identically. Considerable attemtion appears to have been given to their hair. In all the available image the hair is either styled are very neatly combed. As younger boys they wore bangs and curly hair down to their necks. As somewhat older boys, the hair is cit away from their necks, they wore it like this before and after breeching. The hair was cut a little shorter and styled over their ears--but well above shoulder length. Some of the styles at this time are quite destinctive with the gair rather seeming to stick out at the temples. Images show Charles still wearing akirts and Leopold wearing kneepants, but with the same hair style. The Queen seems to have had their hair cut shorter at about 6 or 7 years of age. The available images suggest that she may had had Charles' hair cut earlier than Leopold's, perhaps so the two could be outfitted identically. After that, there hair styles do not seem to change much. Charles wore his hair with a right part, but rather nearer to to the center than most parts.

Identical Styles

Queen Elizabeth like to have Charles' and his brother's hair styled identically. There are some differences when Charles was very young, but many portraits show the boys with identical styles.

Attention

Considerable attention appears to have been given to their hair. In all the available image the hair is either styled are very neatly combed. We suspect that some one may have been on the staff just to look after hair styling for the Queen and her children. Strangely as the boys had there hair done very stlishly, their little sister Marie Jose always seem to have an unsightly permanent frizzy hair style.

Color

Charles' hair appears to have beennlighter than his brother's hair.

Styles

We have noted three destinctive haor styles worn by Charles and his brother Leopold. The boys often had their hair styled identically.

Toddlers

As a baby, Charles' hair was allowed to grow out. He wore front bangs and curly hair down to their necks (figure 1). Charles' hair at this age appears to have been natuarally curly.

Little boys

As some what older boys, the hair is cut away from their necks, they wore it like this before and after breeching. The hair was cut a little shorter and styled over their ears--but well above shoulder length. Some of the styles at this time are quite destinctive with the gair rather seeming to stick out at the temples. Images show Charles still wearing akirts and Leopold wearing kneepants, but with the same hair style.


Figure 2.--This rather contemplative portrait of Charles gives a good view of how hois hair was combed as an older boy with a short hair cut. He looks to be about 19 years old here. He seem to be wearing one of his satin suits with wide white collar.

Short cuts

The Queen seems to have had their hair cut shorter at about 6 or 7 years of age. This was not done at breaching, but well afterwards. The available images suggest that she may had had Charles' hair cut earlier than Leopold's, perhaps so the two could be outfitted identically. After that, there hair styles do not seem to change much. His hair seems very full. Charles wore his hair with a right part, but rather nearer to to the center than is common in most side parts. His hair was worn short, cut around the ears. It was, however, not a severe back and sides cut.







Christopher Wagner







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Created: May 17, 2002
Last updated: May 17, 2002