Queen Letizia Has Officially Traded Her Signature Blowout In For A More Casual Updo

Everybody — even actual royalty — is coming out of quarantine looking a little more low-key than how they may have gone in. She may not have retired her chic wardrobe for monochromatic sweatsuit sets like the rest of us, but Queen Letizia's ponytail is proof that she's on board for a more casual aesthetic, too.

The famously stylish Spanish monarch has pulled her always-impeccable blowout into a ponytail more times within the few weeks than ever in her life, it seems. Whereas she would normally wear her brunette tresses down and straight, occasionally loosely curly, the royal now rarely departs from her new favorite relaxed updo.

The ponytail streak began on June 23, when she appeared in the Canary Islands, where she and King Felipe VI started their tour of Spain's autonomous communities. It quickly became a staple of the trip, returning on June 25 in Palma de Mallorca, on June 29 in Córdoba, and on July 2 in Cuenca — always bouncy, wrapped with a swath of hair, and worn with a flowy printed frock and wedges.

Queen Letizia sported the ponytail again on July 7 in Murcia and again with black pants and a neutral knit top while visiting Jaca on Wednesday, so it's safe to say the tie-back has become a near-permanent fixture in her beauty routine.

While the new hairstyle may indeed be owed simply to summertime humidity, it's more likely a result of mask wearing. The royal has scarcely been seen without a face covering since late April, after Spain was reported to have the second highest COVID-19 death tally (after Italy). Now, the country has reopened its borders to tourism — albeit slowly and with exclusions — and the royals are touring its autonomous communities with the intention of supporting social and economic activity.

Fellow royal and perpetual ponytail-wearer Kate Middleton has also been reintegrating herself into society lately, making an appearance at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Sunday to celebrate the National Health Service's 72nd anniversary. During the outing, the duchess wore almost the exact same hairstyle, raising speculation that she was, in fact, Queen Letizia's inspiration all along.