The Princess of Wales, famous for her deep brunette locks, has hard-launched a new relationship with peroxide. At an appearance today at London’s Natural History Museum, her hair was noticeably lighter in hue — if not full-on blond, then definitely bronde, honey, even flaxen.
The rumours that Kate had gone blond began at least a week ago, with much discussed pictures taken through a tinted car window, where half of her head was covered with a hat. It was a sunny day, and the pictures seemed to be taken just as the light hit her hair, something that anyone who’s taken a photo in golden hour knows can render anyone a momentary strawberry blond.
She’d also just returned from a holiday in Greece, so many were wondering if she’d just been naturally sun-kissed in the Mediterranean and over what’s been an unusually hot British summer. But today’s appearance put those doubts to rest.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, debuted noticeably lighter hair colour at the Natural History Museum on September 4, 2025 in London.
Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesShockingly (or not at all), there has been no official statement from Kensington Palace on this change in her hair colour status.
But Kate being blond, however lowlit, is a fascinating moment in the royal’s public presentation. She is someone whose long, dark hair has been a visual calling card, the flip-and-smooth as she pulls it over her shoulder one of her most distinctive mannerisms. To make this kind of dramatic change is quite something for the Princess of Wales, who has worn umpteen versions of the same coat dress for over 15 years.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, presented top-ranked Sinner with the trophy after he defeated
But Kate’s hair had been gradually lightening for a while. At Wimbledon in July, she was tiptoeing into bronde territory, and she’s dabbled in various shades of the mid to light brunette spectrum over her years in the public eye.
Why she might do this is the stuff of Conspiracy Corner. One of the internet’s favourite theories is that since she’s a human woman in her forties, she almost certainly has some greys, and going lighter with hair colour is an easier way to cover them. Remember how cruel some corners of social media have been about any hint that she might be aging — the “Kate looks old” discourse after an unflattering Remembrance Day photo in 2024, just a few months before it was revealed that she had cancer, was particularly harsh.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, at the Natural History Museum’s newly renovated gardens on September 4, 2025 in London.
Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesIs it yet one more nod toward her famously blond mother-in-law, with a feathered pageboy chop still to come? Is it some attempt to pull focus away from her sister-in-law across the pond, stealing the spotlight just as the second season of Meghan Markle’s Netflix lifestyle show drops?
Or is it a signal of a new style era, following the departure of the princess’s long-time stylist and assistant, Natasha Archer, earlier this year? (The classic Kate outfit we saw today — blazer, shirt, slim trousers — would be a strong counter to this argument.)
Or is this refresh part of the “fresh start” that is apparently the motivation for her and William’s reported move to a bigger home on the Windsor Castle estate, a way to move on from the hardship of the past few years. She wouldn’t be the first woman to make a big hair change after a traumatic time, at a pivotal juncture in her life.
