Kate reveals secret of her new lighter hair to Su Pollard on the Royal Variety Performance
The Princess of Wales last night revealed the secret to her lighter ‘bronde’ hairdo during a backstage chat with actress Su Pollard at the Royal Variety Performance.
In recent months, Kate has been experimenting with different hair colours, apparently adding shades of blonde to her trademark chestnut locks.
And at the Royal Albert Hall in London last night, she shared the secret of how she achieved her lighter caramel highlights.
Divulging what the pair chatted about, Su said she’d told the Princess: ‘I like your hair, it looks a lot lighter.’
Kate replied: ‘It used to be brown, but it’s gone light in the sunshine.’
The royal, 43, who attended last night’s glittering gala with Prince William first debuted her new look after her summer holidays, where she spent time on a superyacht sailing around the Greek islands.
Speaking about the royal’s sun-kissed locks, Seung Ki Baek, Creative Colour Expert at RUSH HAIR described the lighter shade as ‘a breath of fresh air’, adding: ‘I absolutely love it.’
He told the Daily Mail: ‘Whilst the sun isn’t the only factor to thank for Kate’s new look, her transition to a honey blonde hue has instantly brightened her complexion, whilst adding depth and dimension to her naturally darker base.’
Sharing advice for how people with darker hair, he said: ‘Lightening the hair in the sun can occur over time, but the effect is often less dramatic than for those with a naturally lighter base.’
Kate’s hair looked lighter than her traditional chestnut colour as she attended the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday
Revealing his opinion on how Kate achieved her honey blonde hue, he said: ‘Her natural base will have been lightened, being infused with highlights for that extra glow.
‘It’s great to see Kate experimenting with warmer, brighter shades – they are a great choice to flatter her naturally cool undertones and make her green eyes pop.’
Describing the royal’s hair style on the evening, he noted that she ‘wore her hair in long, loose waves, amplifying texture, volume, and movement’.
The expert continued: ‘With an oval face shape, her sharp jawline and gorgeous high cheekbones are two of her most defining features – the combination of her hairstyle, shade and undertones all harmonise beautifully.
‘Her hair looks glossy, healthy, and luxurious – this is a simple change that feels fresh without being too bold, matching her usual understated elegance.’
The royal has made a few changes to her hair recently, trying out different colours.
In September, during a visit to the Natural History Museum in London with her husband Prince William, she sported a much blonder hairstyle than usual.
As the engagement marked their first following their Summer break, her lighter locks were thought in part to be thanks to a holiday spent in the sun sailing around the Greek islands on the Wales’s superyacht.
Kate looked elegant in a full-length green velvet evening gown for the glittering event
The royal has shown off lighter locks this year, telling people the brighter shade is due to the sun
However, days later, when she made a public appearance to support England’s Red Roses at the Brighton & Hove Albion stadium, she appeared to be experimenting with a new hair look once again.
This time, the royal appeared to have returned to her chestnut-toned tresses.
But according to a stylist, the difference in how her hair colour looked, could have been down to factors like lighting, rather than Kate changing her colour.
Adem Oygur, celebrity hairstylist said: ‘It’s very normal for hair to look different depending on lighting and styling, and that’s almost certainly the case here.
‘At the Natural History Museum, Kate wore her hair down, with soft waves that caught the light and made her blonde highlights really shine.
‘At the rugby, she opted for a sleeker, pulled-back style, and the stadium lighting was much dimmer and cooler in tone. Both those factors naturally make hair appear a little darker and more uniform in colour.’
He noted that when the royal met the teams in their dressing rooms, under artificial lighting, her hair looked much more blonde again.
‘It doesn’t look like she’s suddenly dyed it, you can even see in the post-match photos, under brighter lights, her golden tones are still very much there,’ said Adem.
The Princess of Wales dazzled in a velvet gown and the late Queen’s diamond Cartier earrings, alongside her slightly lighter hair shade
‘It’s more about context: indoor versus outdoor light, flash photography, and how the hair is styled.
‘As for why she chose this look, it’s a smart and practical switch. A pulled-back style is perfect for a high-energy evening event like the rugby: chic, polished, but also comfortable and fuss-free in a crowded stadium.
‘Earlier in the week at the museum, she went for a softer, more relaxed style that complemented the setting and her outfit beautifully.
‘It just shows her versatility; she can shift from radiant, flowing glamour to sleek, sporty elegance with ease, while always looking polished and appropriate for the occasion.’
On Wednesday, while attending the Royal Variety show, Kate was the picture of elegance in a green velvet evening gown, while William looked dapper in a black tie.
She paired her emerald dress, thought to be from German luxury fashion brand Talbot Runhof, with the exquisite Greville chandelier earrings, once favoured by the late Queen and crafted by Cartier over 11 years.
The outing marked a rare joint ‘black tie’ evening for the royal couple, after William attended the Diplomatic Corps reception at Windsor Castle on Tuesday night solo.
Despite cold and sleet in the British capital, fans were out in force to see Kate join her prince just a stone’s throw from their London base at Kensington Palace.
The Princess and Prince made a dazzling entrance on Wednesday at the Royal Variety Performance
The Wales’ arrival at the Royal box was met by state trumpeters, while Welsh opera singer Katherine Jenkins sang the national anthem as the crowd stood to greet the royal couple.
This year’s show was hosted by Jason Manford and included an exclusive performance from Paddington The Musical, which opened at the Savoy Theatre at the start of the month.
The beloved fictional bear became synonymous with the late Queen Elizabeth after she appeared in a cameo with the marmalade-loving character for her Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
Money raised from the star-studded event goes to help people from the world of entertainment in need of care and assistance, with the Royal Variety Charity launching an initiative to help those with mental health issues last year, a cause William and Kate have long championed.
The charity also runs Brinsworth House, known as the Old Pro’s Paradise, for those who have worked in the entertainment industry.
The grand finale saw some 400 actors take to the stage to sing a medley of songs from hit musical Les Miserables to mark the 40th anniversary of the hit musical.
When comedian Matt Lucas took to the stage to perform Master of the House as the villainous character Monsieur Thenardier, he looked up at the royal box and said: ‘Oh no, I thought it was going to be the other guy, the one on the coins.’
The prince and princess laughed and looked to enjoy the impressive performance.
An expert has praised the royal’s locks, saying it is ‘great to see Kate experimenting with warmer, brighter shades’
One Day More concluded the medley, which saw singers line the aisles and drummers perform in the wings.
As the chorus sang the final words, the French and union flags were waved from the dress circle and red white and blue confetti fell from the ceiling.
The audience rose to their feet in applause, including the prince and princess, as the acts returned to the stage to ‘Santa Clause is Coming To Town’.
Their royal highnesses were then thanked for attending and given three rounds of Hip Hip Hooray before heading backstage to meet all the acts, including a special meet and greet with Paddington.
The Royal Variety Charity assists those who have worked professionally in the entertainment industry, and in 2024, it set up a dedicated team to assist those who are in need of help and support because of mental health issues, a cause close to William and Kate’s hearts.
Senior members of the Royal Family take it in turns to attend the glittering event, with the King, patron of the charity, attending last year’s show.
Yesterday’s performance marked the sixth time William and Kate have attended the show together, and the princess’s first since her cancer recovery.
The royal couple’s most recent appearance was in 2023 when they were joined by Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel.
The Royal Variety Performance will air on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player in December.
