Princess Anne's rarely-seen tumbling hair at the Olympics will make you double take

Princess Anne continues to delight spectators in Paris as she cheers on Team GB at the Olympic Games , just weeks after suffering a concussion and a minor head injury.

The 73-year-old royal has a long affinity with the Olympics , having become the first British royal to compete in the international sporting event in 1976.

Rewind to 1972, four years before her Olympic athlete debut, Princess Anne was amongst spectators at the Summer Olympic Games in Munich, West Germany.

In a rare unearthed photograph, the mother-of-two looks so different as she lets her rarely-seen curls fall past her shoulders.

© Getty

Wearing a fitted, collared blouse with low-slung jeans, the Princess was a cool and casual style icon as she spoke with equestrians and took photographs in the crowd.

She wore chic, slimline sunglasses pushed back on top of her head, and appeared to go makeup free, letting her naturally radiant complexion shine through.

© Getty

Today, the Princess' neatly coiffed chignon hairstyle has become synonymous with her image - and is a hairstyle she has worn consistently for the last five decades.

It has served the Princess Royal since the 1980s, acting as her suit of armour during her military career, her go-to for royal engagements and most importantly, the perfect base for a glittering tiara.

© Shutterstock

At age 21, however, the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II took a far more carefree approach to styling her hair and often wore her mane loose in thick, bouncy waves.

Princess Anne's Olympic career

The Princess Royal is renowned for her love of sport and equestrianism, which is shared by her daughter Zara Tindall , who has also competed in the Olympic Games.

Princess Anne rode the late Queen's horse, Goodwill, in the equestrian three-day event at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.

© Getty

The Queen and the late Duke of Edinburgh, along with Princess Anne's brothers, then Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward, flew to Canada to support her.

© Getty

While Anne didn't come away with any Olympic medals, her equestrian career was still a success. She won a gold medal in 1971 and two silver medals in 1975 at the European Eventing Championships.