Elizabeth I and her Hair

Was Queen Elizabeth I bald? She is said to have reddish-gold hair like her father, King Henry VIII. The Virgin Queen definitely wore wigs, and may have sported and influenced some of the fabulous styles depicted below that were popular with wealthy ladies on the 16th century.

Auguste Racinet, Le costume historique, 1888, Europe XVI Siecle.

It seems that Elizabeth may have, at times, used wigs not just for fashion but to conceal her hair going gray. But she did not lose her hair, at least, not until much later in life, in her mid-sixties. She died at the age of 69.

Whether her hair beauty secret was due to nature or wigs, the indelible image of Elizabeth I is of an elaborately coiffed redhead. And an incredible, powerful, ruler.

 

—Elizabeth Periale