I absolutely love a good morning routine- it completely shifts my mood and sets the tone for the entire day. When I start my morning right, it genuinely feels like I can take on the world. You guys know, because I’ve talked about this a bunch: I love waking up at 5 a.m.
But recently (and I’ve mentioned this before), I started wondering- was 5 a.m. maybe a little too intense? Too stressful on my body? So I began experimenting with waking up with the sunrise instead. And interestingly enough, I actually feel much better waking up at 5! I’ll dive deeper into that in a future post, but for now… I’m back to my 5 a.m. wake-ups.
However what I will never do is have a morning routine I don’t enjoy. This idea that to be healthy your mornings must look like protein powder smoothies, freezing showers, and intermittent fasting couldn’t be further from the truth.
Ancient princesses’ morning routines were the original prometabolic & hormone-balancing wellness rituals:
sleeping in natural fiber sheets, waking to warm rose water or hibiscus tea, rinsing the face with herb-infused waters, and then either a massage with extra virgin olive oil or soaking in a hot herbal bath, followed by a nourishing breakfast with raw dairy and a barefoot walk through the garden. Absolute perfection.
Note: I’m not saying I agree with all of these- I’m just the messenger! And I’m not cherry-picking information; I’m giving the most historically accurate routine!
So let’s get into it. Here are the morning routines of history’s most beautiful princesses- recreated from historical records, journals, and rituals they actually followed.
Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi)
1837–1898 | Known as one of the most beautiful women of 19th-century Europe. Allegedly had a 19-inch waist. Her approach to beauty was intense and extremely disciplined- some would say “masculine.”
If you’re looking to soften your routine, she’s definitely not the one to follow. However, her bizarre beauty rituals are fascinating to read about (she wore raw veal on her face at night, secured with a leather mask!). She would’ve been obsessed with biohacking- LOL.
Morning Routine:
- 6:00 AM (or sunrise): Cold bath to invigorate the skin. Occasionally took warm olive oil baths for soft skin.
- 6:30 AM: Full-body massage to improve circulation and skin tone.
- 8:00 AM: Light breakfast- usually raw milk and fruit. "For weeks on end, she would eat nothing but eggs, oranges, and raw milk." (Very Ray Peat- but she was known to eat very little, which I’m not a fan of.)
- 9:00 AM: Exercise- either a 3-hour walk, gymnastics, or horseback riding.
- 12:00 PM: Hairdressing ritual. Her hair reached her ankles, and the process could take up to three hours. She studied languages or read during this time. “Sisi looked on her daily sessions of hairdressing as a sacred ritual.”
Beauty Recipes:
- Hair Care: Washed every three weeks with raw eggs and brandy. It took all day to wash and dry. She wore a waterproof silk dressing gown while walking to dry her hair.
- Skin Care: She slept with RAW. VEAL. Strapped to her face. EVERY. Night. (She had a custom leather mask made so she could put her veal on, lol) and no pillows (she believed it was anti-aging). She used crushed strawberries on her hands, neck, and face to prevent wrinkles.
Catherine de’ Medici
1519-1589 | Queen of France
This one I just have to show you direct quotes, I didn’t even want to change a word of it!
“Her secret to flawless skin and rosy cheeks was a zealous wellbeing routine that involved plunging herself in cold baths every morning, drinking gallons of bone broth, taking regular exercise, and having early nights. Her discipline paid off; she was also acknowledged as the most beautiful woman in the realm- if not the life of the party.” —Katrina Lawrence
“Catherine firmly believed in the aphrodisiac properties of many foods, including thistle, shallots, zucchini, celery, artichoke, mushrooms, broad beans, and onions—or a mix of dried fruits.
Cold plunge and bone broth morning routine? Very Gwyneth Paltrow.
Cleopatra VII of Egypt
69–30 BC
Morning Routine:
- 5:00 AM (or before sunrise): Her attendants filled a basin with warm water perfumed with kyphi- an ancient Egyptian blend of honey, wine, myrrh, and sacred herbs. She cleansed with a natron-based soap, then bathed in sour donkey milk mixed with raw honey and crushed rose petals. The lactic acid smoothed her skin, the honey softened it, and the herbs were like a perfume.
- 5:30 AM: She layered on thick, fragrant oils- infused with frankincense, blue lotus and myrrh. She was known for the way she smelled!
- 6:00 AM: Face mask of honey, sea salt, and crushed pearl powder. Hair treated with castor oil. She read scrolls or listened to poetry, then applied kohl eyeliner (used to clean and enhance eye health and appearance). Essential oils dabbed on wrists.
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6:30 AM: Breakfast, which likely consisted of barley bread with figs and olives, dates, drizzled with honey, and raw goat cheese, served with chilled pomegranate juice.
Beauty Recipes: - Milk & Honey Rinse: Raw honey, raw milk, and aloe vera for glowing skin.
- Exfoliation: White clay, crushed pearl, and sea salt.
- Drink of Choice: Hibiscus tea—for beauty enhancement.
A hot herbal bath, hibiscus tea, herbal body oils, a face mask and a nourishing breakfast? Sounds amazing to me!
Marie Antoinette
1755–1793 | Queen of France
Routine:
- 8:00 AM: Wakes up, selects outfits from swatches, puts on a robe, and takes a hot bath. Returns to bed with a book to read or embroider.
- 9:00 AM: Light breakfast of coffee or hot chocolate made with raw milk. (I drink raw milk hot chocolate with gelatin and raw honey almost daily- it’s incredible.)
Hot baths, raw milk hot chocolate, reading, and embroidery. Simple. Calm. I love it.
Empress Joséphine
1763–1814 | First wife of Napoleon
Her mornings seemed so relaxed.
“Awakened around eight o’clock by her ladies, she would breakfast leisurely in bed, play with her dogs, and then begin an elaborate toilette lasting from two to three hours. Josephine gave much time to the selection of dresses and appurtenance.”
So- she was literally woken up by a group of friends, served breakfast in bed, played with her dogs, and took hot baths daily.
