We all had a tantalising glimpse of Kate’s new hair colour at the end of last month when she was being driven to church near Balmoral. The eagle-eyed among us blew up the photo on our phones. Does it look lighter because of the sun? Has Kate given in and decided to abandon her trademark conker, shiny-as-a-wet-otter hair colour?
Well, today we had our answer. The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived on an official visit to the Natural History Museum in London and broke the internet. Because there she was, smiling broadly, looking just like her old self but… somehow lighter of step, and not just because she was wearing £199 flats by Pretty Ballerinas. More modern. Her skin glowed.
I can only describe the new colour as ‘buttery’ or ‘ash’: not brassy at all. The parting is slightly off centre – a centre part can be harsh – while the curls are much curlier.
Kate has not gone grey so far as we know, but this lighter shade will certainly hide any snaking, wiry, annoying grey hairs (and it’s worth knowing that the sudden onset of grey can be more common after chemotherapy).
Very dark hair against ageing skin can look a little, how can I put it, late era Catherine Zeta Jones. Cleverly, over the last year or so, Kate has gradually transitioned from very dark to chocolate to dark caramel – a wise move that won’t shock the follicles with too much bleach and risk breakage.
What this new, more modern colour is telling us is that Kate has grown up. Having endured treatment for cancer, this looks to me like a new start, a freshen up. It’s fearless, too: she is unafraid of what others might think because who can be bothered to sweat the small stuff now? She is pleasing only herself.
The Princess of Wales showed off her new hair colour on an official visit to the Natural History Museum in London today
The lighter shade will certainly hide any annoying grey hairs, which can appear suddenly after having chemotherapy
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Of course, moments after her new look was revealed, the internet exploded, and the comments were for the most part a little harsh. Anything this different and new feels like a big change for fans to get used to.
‘Makes her look older… and tired,’ said one. ‘Lose the Rapunzel locks,’ opined another. ‘Kate is now in competition with Angela Rayner.’ ‘Hideous.’
Oh get over it. By 3pm, there had been 4,000 posts on X about her hair, and many of them negative, which is maddening.
You can’t have it both ways. A while back, celebrity hairdresser Nicky Clarke called Kate’s old hair colour, the shade she has sported all her life, ‘unadventurous’. Well, today she’s the sartorial equivalent of Bear Grylls.
Prince William and Kate visited the museum for a tour of the gardens
And there were nice people out there too: ‘Kate brings the sunshine in the rain,’ said one.
As for so many women, Kate’s hair has always been her comfort blanket, and to me this reveal is a clear sign she has new-found confidence. Critics online also added today that her hair is far too long, questioning whether she is using extensions or even a wig. But why are women always told to cut their hair once they pass 40? It’s our superpower, something to caress, show off, to pull back in a chignon or unleash in soft curls. Sometimes, it’s useful to hide behind, too.
Kate’s style today is very feminine, but a look that tells us she is well and truly back, means business and, well, we all know that blondes have more fun… I bet William loves it. Although doubtless he didn’t have a say, which is exactly how it should be.