Princess Charlene commanded attention at the Provale Solidarité charity gala at the Hotel Georges V in Paris on Friday evening, but her hairstyle had a secret, deeper meaning.
The wife of Prince Albert opted to style her blonde tresses (which she has been growing out since the tail end of 2025) in a pristine low bun with a face-framing curl. Fashion stylist Leanne Jones unpacked Charlene's dress choice for us, but now, she has also revealed how her choice of hairdo perfectly completes the look.
© AFP via Getty ImagesPrincess Charlene's tribute to Grace Kelly
"Once again, she has opted for sleek, understated hair, something she does so well that allows her often maximalist, formal gowns to take centre stage," she says. "The subtle twist here is the single curl falling on the right side of her face. To me, it feels like a quiet homage to the hairstyles of her late mother-in-law, Grace Kelly. If that was indeed the inspiration, it has been executed beautifully."
© Getty ImagesAs Leanne highlights, Charlene, 48, has quite the sartorial shoes to fill as her husband, Prince Albert's mother, was the Old Hollywood actress Grace Kelly. The High Society actress, who passed away in 1982, married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956 and became known as Princess Grace.
© Getty ImagesPrincess Charlene's gala look
The late princess would often wear her hair in sleek updos and even wore her hair up on her wedding day. Otherwise, Charlene's look for the charity gala featured a crystal-encrusted Oscar de la Renta gown and large diamond stud earrings.
© Getty Images"There appears to have been some subtle tailoring and editing to the jewel features at the décolletage to really make this piece Charlene's own, and then of course, the earrings, perfectly reflect the diamond detailing on the dress," Leanne told us.
Princess Charlene's royal muse
© Getty ImagesIt isn't the first time Charlene has echoed her late mother-in-law in her dress sense. At amfAR's Cinema Against AIDS gala during the 64th Cannes Film Festival at Hôtel Du Cap in 2011, the former Olympic swimmer dazzled in a pale blue evening gown by Giorgio Armani.
© Getty ImagesThe garment featured sheer chiffon covering her decolletage and wrapping around her shoulders, sparkly detailing around the waist, and a skirt that danced around her feet. It was reminiscent of the chiffon gown Grace Kelly wore for her leading role in To Catch a Thief from 1955.
