I can’t be the only one that noticed – The King has a new hairstyle and he suddenly looks younger

It happened first in London and then again in Scotland. It’s rather subtle but once you see it, there’s no going back. King Charles has switched up his hairstyle and I, for one, think it makes him look a lot younger.

King Charles has made a rather subtle change to a head of hair that’s kept people talking for years but it’s working rather well. For years, King Charles has kept his hair in a side setting. However, his latest appearances show a change of direction.

The King combed his hair back, away from his forehead, rather than across his head. And it makes all the difference.

His appearance on a sunny afternoon at Clarence House was the turning point. As he asked some cows not to trample his box hedge (royals do eccentric better than anyone and we all have a soft spot for it) and then cut a cake with almost as much bravura as Queen Camilla, who reigns supreme in this royal role, he looked, well, just a little different.

His Majesty was clearly in a good mood, despite the cows, but we’re used to seeing Charles III smile. No, this alteration was subtle but definite. The hair has changed.

It didn’t only make him look younger. Once he’d added in a pair of rather classic sunglasses, he had more than an air of his father, Prince Philip, about him.

And just to underline that this is no passing fad, just a day later King Charles was seen with the same hair style in Scotland. As he welcomed the ‘Dumfries House Dog of the Decade’ (see what I mean about a loveable dose of eccentricity) and presented them with a rather stylish red neckerchief, the royal hair was doing exactly what it had 24 hours earlier. It was flowing across the crown of the royal head in a backward motion.

No side stepping the issue, this is a switch up. It also appears that The King’s hair is slightly longer which, again, is working in a good way. However, the direction of travel has altered and there might well be a very good reason.

The change might well have been prompted by a moment during the recent State Visit by US President, Donald Trump. King Charles put on an unprecedented event during the trip as he invited his guest to watch a Beating the Retreat parade on the lawns of Windsor Castle. It was a classic British early autumn afternoon. Pleasant, mild and just a little breezy. Aa both men left this prestigious moment, the wind blew up some more and both were left momentarily patting down their hair.

In fact, as they walked away from the ceremony, the two were slightly ruffled and headed back to the castle to tidy up the hairstyle before the big set piece of the State Visit, the State Banquet.

Held in the majesty of St. George’s Hall inside the oldest continually inhabited royal residence in the world, this was a moment for the history books. To be fair to Charles III, he knew his image was the least interesting of the four on show in the official photos. Which tiara would Queen Camilla wear? What dress would Melania pick? What would President Trump do? Charles might have been the most important person in the photo but he was well aware the attention would fall elsewhere first. After the afternoon, he was no doubt glad that there was no breeze inside the chilly hall and the evening was to be a ruffle free zone.

However, I can’t help wondering if that windswept Windsor walk with Donald Trump prompted this change. I’m glad to see it, it suits him. And there’s no doubt that combing to the back allows the use of a lot more product which, as we head into autumn and breezy season, might well be a good thing.

Before we all get too pious about talking trivia at times of turmoil, we need to remember that Monarchy has always been rooted in image. One look at the portraits produced for that most vain of royals, Henry VIII, underlines just how much importance has been placed on projecting the right idea of royalty.

Image, in all its forms, is a bedrock of the Crown. From the medieval monarchs who needed to appear the mightiest, the most war ready, the best in battle to the modern royals who have to be picture perfect at all times, how the head that wears the crown looks really matters.

That’s why this switch up is interesting. Charles III is now into the fourth year of his reign. Some of the issues that followed him into his tenure remain while new ones appear as soon as old ones fade. The last thing The King needs is to appear ruffled. So he’s slicked it back and taken control. And he looks all the fresher for it.