Kate Middleton’s Most Stunning Hair Moments of All Time

Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Kate Middleton’s Most Stunning Hair Moments of All Time

From bouncy blowouts to perfect ponytails, Princess Kate is known for her luscious locks. In 2020, a source told The Sun that Kate not only took a stab at dyeing her tresses during the Covid-19 lockdown, but she also frequently gave her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, trims. “Kate does use a home color on it from Richard,” the source said at the time, referencing royal hairstylist Richard Ward. “She would normally be given products from his salon between her appointments with him. But for this lockdown the package was rather larger than usual.” She also experimented with highlights in 2025 and side bangs. To look back at her best hair moment through the years, keep scrolling:

Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Kate Middleton’s Most Stunning Hair Moments of All Time

From bouncy blowouts to perfect ponytails, Princess Kate is known for her luscious locks. In 2020, a source told The Sun that Kate not only took a stab at dyeing her tresses during the Covid-19 lockdown, but she also frequently gave her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, trims. “Kate does use a home color on it from Richard,” the source said at the time, referencing royal hairstylist Richard Ward. “She would normally be given products from his salon between her appointments with him. But for this lockdown the package was rather larger than usual.” She also experimented with highlights in 2025 and side bangs. To look back at her best hair moment through the years, keep scrolling:

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January 2026

Kate Middleton’s highlighted hair was parted to the side and styled in big, voluminous curls in London. 

Credit: Jordan Pettitt / POOL / AFP

December 2025

Kate Middleton let her brunette hair blow in the wind while attending a Together at Christmas carol service in London.

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September 2025

Kate added lowlights to her balayage and styled her mane in long, bouncy curls while visiting Sudbury Silk Mills in Sudbury, Suffolk. 

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Blonde Highlights

Kate went from brunette to bronde as she showed off blended highlights while on a two-day trip to Scotland with Prince William after celebrating their 14th wedding anniversary. 

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Beautiful Braid

Kate rocked a simple braid below her blue fascinator  in December 2023 at a Christmas Day service. The rest of her brunette locks were worn down and straightened. 

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Confident in a Crown

Kate beamed while wearing the Strathmore Rose Tiara — which hasn't been seen since in public in nearly a century — at a state banquet in November 2023. She paired the headpiece with a half-up-half-down coiffure and completed her look with a white Jenny Packham design. 

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Unique Updo

Kate looked gorgeous with a low bun and cherry red hat while welcoming the president and first lady of the Republic of Korea at the Horse Guards Parade in November 2023. 

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Fierce Fringe

Kate showed off her freshly cut curtain bangs while visiting the Grange Pavilion in October 2023. Her fringe softly fell over her forehead while the rest of her hair was styled in big curls. 

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Breathtaking With a Bun

She twisted her hair into a low bun with her curtain bangs framing her face while supporting her “Shaping Us” campaign in September 2023. 

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Sleek Side Part

When the President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa made a state visit to Buckingham Palace in November 2022, Princess Kate wore her hair in elegant loose curls underneath a plum fascinator.

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Poised Updo

At the state banquet King Charles III hosted for President Ramaphosa, Kate looked radiant with a chignon. Her look was topped off with the Lover's Knot Tiara.

Credit: Charlotte Graham/Shutterstock

Effortless Waves

Princess Kate rocked a modern cymotrichous style during a visit to The Street with her husband, Prince William, in November 2022.

Credit: Chris Jackson/Pool/Shutterstock

Regal Curls

The princess wore her brunette crown in bouncy ringlets during a visit to Northern Ireland in October 2022.

Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Cute Coils

She donned springy tresses while at Royal Surrey County Hospital in October 2022.

Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

An Intricate Bun

The England native was seen with her hair in a braided knot while visiting the Army Training Centre Pirbright in September 2022.

Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Bouncy Blowout

The duchess’ locks looked fabulous and frizz-free at the launch of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in June 2021.

Credit: Courtesy of Kensington Royal/Instagram

Tight Waves

On July 23, 2020, the royal wore her hair slightly off-center and debuted tight waves instead of her signature blowout featuring loose curls.

Credit: Courtesy of Kensington Royal/Instagram

Face-Framing Layers

The duchess unveiled her first hair change since the COVID-19 quarantine on July 13, 2020. She lightened up her chocolate brown locks and added face-framing layers, exaggerating her ends with a '70s flip.

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Lobbed and Lovely 

Gasp! The Duchess takes us all by surprise by chopping her signature long chestnut tresses into a lob and debuting the new look at Wimbledon. It takes days for us to recover from the shock, then we go out and get lobs too. 

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Bouffant Babe

In a look entirely out of her repertoire, Kate Middleton wore some serious volume at her crown for the royal equivalent of a beehive updo for the BAFTA’s 2017. It was one part Jackie O, one part modern day royal, all of the parts fabulous. 

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Pill Box Perfection 

In another moment in which she channeled American Royalty (hello, Jackie O) Kate rocked a gray pillbox hat with her personal signature: a rolled-under chignon. Fun fact: she’s pretty much the reason the chignon made a comeback in the first place. 

Credit: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty

Side Part and Swept Back 

Kate is known to wear her hair half-up, but for her appearance in Wales in February 2017, she added a twist into the mix by wearing her strands subtly parted to the side as well as pulled back. 

Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

Bouncy and Bountiful 

If there’s one thing we can always rely on Kate for, it’s to consistently serve bouncy, voluminous and shiny blowouts like she did while at an appearance for the charity Heads Together in January 2017. 

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Fab and Feathered

Consider this closest we’ll ever get to ‘70s hair from Middleton. The Duchess of Cambridge wore lightened and slightly below the shoulder hair with a feathered wave at the front to attend the SportsAids 40th Anniversary dinner in June 2016. 

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Side Bun Chic

Leave it to Kate Middleton to take a look as difficult to execute as the side bun and not only do it but with grace. She sported the daring look with a classic wide-brimmed black velvet hat to the 2016 Remembrance Day Services in the U.K. 

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(Side) Bangs and Beautiful

The Duchess brought back her side bangs from 2012 in late 2015, but this time they were heavier and she swept them back Bardot-style, like at this appearance in September of that year. 

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Side Chignon

The pregnant Duchess, whose second child is due April 2015, selected an intricately woven updo, pinned to one side, for a 2015 church service in London.

Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage.com

Mid-Height Ponytail With Volume

Touring New Zealand with her husband in 2014, the St. Andrews' alumni finished her tailored ensemble with the perfect sleek ponytail, with hair wrapped at the base and extra volume on top to soften the style.

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Fanned-Out Low Bun

Ballerinas, eat your heart out! To complete her lace dress, worn for a reception at Government House in Australia in 2014, Middleton added a low bun, fanned out to create volume, with smaller pieces spun into loops and pinned in place on top.

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Half-Updo (With a Hat)

Stepping out in her 2014 Easter bonnet in Australia, Middleton worked a half-up style, twisted from above the ear on each side and pulled to the back of the head to leave ample room for her lilac fascinator.

Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Sleek Low Ponytail

Keeping the focus on her pretty plaid ensemble, Middleton slicked her chestnut tresses into a low ponytail that was secured at the nape of her neck to welcome Singapore's president to London in 2014.

Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage.com (2)

Half-Updo (Without a Hat)

Hats off to this hairdo! Stepping out to visit New York City's Northside Center for Child Development in 2014, Prince William's wife styled her highlighted hair into a loosely curled half-updo, with the pieces framing her face pulled to the back of her head and woven into a crisscrossed design.

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Piece-y Ponytail

Ditching her trademark sleek-and-chic ponies, Prince George's mom teamed her white dress and statement necklace with a youthful take on the style at a London screening of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom in 2013.

Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Straight Hair

The Duchess of Cambridge paired her lace dress with the silkiest straight locks—quite a rare choice for the royal, as she almost always adds a little bouncy curl to her ends—at a screening of Natural History Museum Alive 3D, hosted at London's Natural History Museum in 2013.

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Pearl-Accented Updo

While touring Malaysia in 2012, Middleton attended a tea party, where she modeled this twisted updo, complete with pearls pinned into the loops.

Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage.com

Fabulous Fringe

Though Middleton's bangs were short-lived (she debuted them in fall 2012, but kept them only as long as it took her to grow them out), they made a strong statement while they lasted. Here, at the opening of the London Natural History Museum's Treasures Cadogan Gallery in 2012, the long fringe was blown out into a feathered style, giving her retro appeal. (The peace signs on her emerald dress helped, too!)

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Half-Up With Mini-Bun

The best of both worlds! Clad in head-to-toe blush, Middleton was able to rock both a mini-updo and her perfect curls via her elegant hairstyle at a 2012 Diamond Jubilee event marking Queen Elizabeth II's 60-year reign.

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Braided Updo

From top to bottom Middleton stunned at the Olympic Concert, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London during the 2012 Summer Olympics. Not only was her teal lace dress swoon-worthy, but her curly updo, with braids woven throughout, was one of her prettiest to date.

Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage

Seldom Center Part 

Days after debuting her shorter hair, the Duchess takes the world by surprise again by wearing a dead center part. 

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Royal Wedding Hair

"I do" to this one! Perhaps her most-seen hairstyle (thanks to the 2 billion watching at home), Middleton chose this demure, half-up, half-down style for her 2011 nuptials to Prince William. She finished the look with a lace-trimmed veil, diamond tiara (on loan from the Queen!), and, of course, her magnificent Alexander McQueen dress.

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Classic Blowout

If there's one thing the Duchess has down pat, it's her signature blowout! As spotted at events throughput 2011 and 2012 (and well beyond), the glossy style always helps her shine.

According to Middleton's wedding-time hairstylist, Richard Ward, the royal's always-radiant tresses can be attributed to the faithful use of a good serum. "It not only takes out the frizz and makes it silky smooth, but it actually helps to hold the curl," he told Us.

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Windswept Curls

While visiting California in 2011, Middleton attended a polo match, where she sported loose, romantic curls. To recreate the style at home, Ward explained to Us, "Start blow-drying your hair after letting it air-dry 80 percent—and make sure to use a real bristle brush."