Boris Johnson ‘getting haircut’ before leading MPs tributes to Prince Philip

Boris Johnson finally had his hair cut today before leading MPs in tributes to Prince Philip.

The PM took advantage of lockdown easing to smarten up after complaints about his increasingly shaggy look.

But he still struggled to keep his hair under control as he left a windy Downing Street for the House of Commons this afternoon. 

Piers Morgan previously compared the PM’s haircut to scarecrow Worzel Gummidge – before revealing Mr Johnson’s fiance Carrie Symonds had finally cut off some of his locks in February. 

Morgan announced on Twitter that the Prime Minister had had his shaggy blonde locks cut by his partner ‘for the first time’.

Today Mr Johnson was able to get a professional haircut, as barbers reopened as part of the easing of lockdown.

Celebrity stylist James Johnson said: ‘Nice to see Boris has gone straight in for a trim. Like many of us I’m sure he’s been waiting to get in the hairdresser’s chair. 

‘I love the fact he’s kept his messy texture whilst keeping it smart and tidy around the ears! It looks less out of control and more suited for the Prime Minister.’ 

The trim came before a seven-hour session with MPs commemorating the extraordinary life of the Duke of Edinburgh.

Along with the rest of the country, Mr Johnson has been deprived of access to hairdressers since January as part of efforts to control coronavirus.

He had said getting his locks shorn was one of the things he was most looking forward to when the restrictions ease.

Salon owners had criticised some of the haircuts sported by the PM during the previous months of lockdown.

One trim on December 9 was condemned by Ricky Walters, founder of London’s Salon64, who said at the time: ‘2020 has been a tough year for us all and Boris Johnson’s haircut truly sums it all up. 

‘Whether cut using a pudding bowl, blunt kitchen scissors or a knife and fork, is certainly a cause for concern’. 

The PM was lambasted for his questionable hair choice when he appeared live during Prime Minister’s Questions in February – with some outraged viewers likening him to a ‘deranged Worzel Gummidge’.

Criticism culminated when Mr Johnson appeared on television screens during the Downing Street press briefing this afternoon.

Viewers said the PM, whose hair was flicked over to one side, looked as though he had a bald patch in the middle of his head.

Following a haircut today, the PM was pictured heading to a seven-hour session to commemorate the life of Prince Philip, following his death, aged 99, on Friday. 

Speaking at the session this afternoon, Mr Johnson voiced the ‘heartfelt thanks of the nation’ for Prince Philip’s dutiful service.

The PM hailed the ‘unfailing dedication’ of the Duke of Edinburgh to the country and the Commonwealth.

He praised the ‘astonishing’ number of public engagements carried out and the way Philip ‘touched the lives of millions’, also pointing out that he occasionally ‘drove a coach and horses’ through diplomatic protocol. 

Mr Johnson said: ‘It is fitting that on Saturday his Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will be conveyed to his final resting place in a Land Rover which Prince Philip designed himself, with a long wheel base and capacious rear cabin.

‘Because that vehicle’s unique and idiosyncratic silhouette reminds the world that he was above all a practical man, who could take something very traditional – whether a machine or, indeed, a great national institution – and find a way by his own ingenuity to improve it, to adapt it for the 20th and 21st century.’

Politicians across the UK are offering their respects to Philip, whose death the Queen has described as ‘having left a huge void in her life’.

The early return of parliaments in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff comes after a weekend which has seen all four of Philip’s children speak movingly about the loss of their father. 

After a church service in Windsor yesterday, where some of the royals said prayers for Philip, the Duke of York revealed the personal feelings of the Queen. 

He said: ‘She described it as having left a huge void in her life but we, the family, the ones that are close, are rallying round to make sure that we’re there to support her.’

Andrew said his mother is ‘an incredibly stoic person’, with his sister-in-law the Countess of Wessex adding that the Queen is ‘thinking of others before herself’.

The Earl of Wessex said his mother is ‘bearing up’ and that the ‘wave of affection’ for his father and ‘fantastic’ tributes are appreciated by the family.

Andrew described the death of his father as resonating with many people, saying: ‘We’ve lost almost the grandfather of the nation.’

After the service at Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, Sophie candidly described the circumstances of the duke’s death as ‘very peaceful’ when she chatted to a member of the congregation, saying it was if ‘somebody took him by the hand and off he went’.

It is understood the Queen attended a private church service within Windsor Castle.

In a message released later on Sunday, the Princess Royal added her thanks to the public, as she paid tribute to her father as someone who ‘leaves a legacy which can inspire us all’.

Anne said: ‘My father has been my teacher, my supporter and my critic, but mostly it is his example of a life well lived and service freely given that I most wanted to emulate.’

Philip died peacefully at Windsor Castle on Friday morning, two months before his 100th birthday.

Edward said Philip’s death was a ‘dreadful shock’, and the family was still ‘trying to come to terms with that’.

Andrew, who stepped down from royal duties over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2019, said his father had been a ‘remarkable man’ who was ‘so calm’ and always ready to listen if someone had a problem.

The Prince of Wales had spoken warmly of his ‘dear papa’ on Saturday, describing him as having ‘given the most remarkable, devoted service to the Queen, to my family and to the country, but also to the whole of the Commonwealth’.

MPs will return to the House of Commons a day early from their Easter break to voice their condolences.

The Welsh and Scottish Parliaments are being recalled, while the Northern Ireland Assembly will also see members pay tributes on Monday.

Only 30 people – expected to be Philip’s children, grandchildren and other close family – will attend the duke’s funeral on Saturday afternoon as guests.

Mr Johnson has said he will not attend the funeral to allow as many family members as possible to attend during coronavirus restrictions.

The Duke of Sussex is reported to have arrived in the UK from the US, but the Duchess of Sussex is said to have been advised by her doctor not to travel for the funeral, which will be televised and take place entirely in the grounds of Windsor Castle.