Do blondes really have more fun?! Welp, following all of the backlash surrounding the Princess of Wales’ fresh buttery blonde locks, she might be inclined to answer with a resounding no. (Copycat Meghan Markle, you’ve been warned.)

Speculation about Kate Middleton’s hair first started swirling on August 24, when photos surfaced of a noticeably blonder princess riding shotgun with her family on an outing to Crathie Kirk church in Balmoral, Scotland. While Kate donned a black hat atop her head, it was still evident that her signature dark mane looked visibly brighter. However, it wasn’t until September 4, during a visit to survey the new gardens at the Natural History Museum in London, that all of the chatter about her new ‘do was officially confirmed. The Princess of Wales is blonde now!

Sadly, it doesn’t appear that the general public is too pleased with Kate’s switch-up. “The blonde/bronde makes her look older. Doesn’t suit her,” one X user opined. Meanwhile, another wrote, “Her hair was a beautiful chestnut brown. Why change to this dulling color. Does nothing for her given her complexion.”

Over the years, Princess Catherine has not only become famous for the color of her dark-hued mane, but also for how she styled it: a voluminous, albeit classically refined blowout. “A big part of royal visual culture is about control, so you see a lot of polished hair, tailored outfits, understated makeup on royal women. All of this projects stability and refinement,” royal commentator Amanda Matta of The Fascinator exclusively told our sister site The List in July. “That doesn’t mean Kate CAN’T wear her natural curls, but choosing a sleek, bouncy blowout as her signature look fit the polished image she was stepping into.” Perhaps, the same could be said for changing up the color of her tresses.

Following Kate Middleton’s bold and honest cancer announcement in March 2024, wherein she explained that she was in the early stages of “preventative chemotherapy,” many openly worried about what the diagnosis might mean for her legendary brunette hair. Many cancer patients lose some, if not all, of their hair as a result of various cancer treatments. However, during a trip to Royal Marsden Hospital in January, Kate reportedly revealed that she hadn’t needed to use that particular therapy. “She just said that she didn’t have to have it,” Katherine Field, a patient receiving treatments at the hospital told People about a candid conversation she had with the princess. “For her to lose her hair, which is so iconic, would have been awful. Everyone loves her hair!” Field added.

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