Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales is a blonde. At least, that's what the newspapers have rolled with. Photographed leaving a church service in Aberdeenshire on Sunday alongside her husband Prince William, the Princess, 43, was photographed with hair that looked considerably lighter. Granted, there's the glimmer of sunlight reflecting against the tinted car window, but a closer look does suggest that her glossy, chestnut hue is now erring more on the side of honey blonde - the soft waves falling by her shoulders are decidedly brighter in tone.
'It's not full-on highlights, but more of a lifted glow, like natural sunlight,' explains Jason Collier, Key Opinion Leader at Jerome Russell Bblonde. 'It catches in the light and adds dimension, without screaming "I’ve had my hair done."'
If you're a brunette wanting a sunkissed feel without a major colour overhaul, this could be a low maintenance look to consider.
'It's the perfect foray into blonde, especially perfect for those nervous about going lighter or anyone trying to grow out old colour in a softer, more blended way,' says Russell.
This isn't the first time Middleton has debuted a departure from her usual 'do. During a visit to the Natural History Museum on the 9th October 2019, she displayed a noticeably lighter shade of caramel that hairdressers described as a 'bronde' - a shade that sits somewhere in the middle between blonde and brunette. Then, a year later in October 2020, she was photographed at the University of Derby with a fresh new cut and lighter, honey tones.
Perhaps her most dramatic look to date came in September 2023, when the Princess stepped out as patron of The Forward Trust at HMP High Down, sporting brand new curtain bangs.
Middleton often chooses to change up her hair as the weather cools, and while these latest pictures suggest that she may have embraced blonde highlights, we'll be waiting with baited breath until her next public engagement for a closer look.
Watch this space...
Rachael Martin is Grazia’s Beauty Director. Originally from Northern Ireland, she studied English Literature at Queen’s University Belfast, before moving to London to pursue a career in magazine journalism. After interning at Stylist and Harper’s Bazaar she dipped her toes into the world of beauty writing and never looked back.