Real reason behind Princess Kate's 'strong' blonde hair transformation finally revealed

Kate reveals her hair secret

Fans were left wondering whether she had dyed her hair, but it remained a mystery – until now. On 19 November, Kate attended the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall. Talking to participating stars before the show, she revealed the secret to her lighter locks. 

Actress Su Pollard told the princess: "I like your hair, it looks a lot lighter", to which Kate replied: 'It used to be brown, but it's gone light in the sunshine." 

An expert unpacks her new look

Kate's hair looks visibly lighter, and naturally, the royal's new 'do sparked a huge conversation at HELLO! HQ and on social media. At the time, she received praise from industry experts for embracing the new look – including colourist to the stars and royalty Daniel Galvin Jr MBE, who broke down her look exclusively for HELLO!.

"Kate's a natural beauty chameleon that can take red, brunette or blonde tones, so this is a wonderful time of year for her to have made this transition," Daniel said.

"It's quite a contrast to her former brunette locks, which is, of course, part of her trademark. People say 'Don't go lighter in the winter,' but I don't go by instructions in a book or follow manuals; I go against the grain. I think going lighter in the winter, particularly with the fashion colour tones of burgundy, navy and the more muted tones this season, it's making her eyes look stronger, bluer this time of year."

He added: "One thing that would top it for me would be seeing a little bit more contrast going through the top layers; it will make her hair look thicker and give it more movement."

Kate's Royal Variety Performance look

Kate's hair, which still featured some of the lighter tones from a summer in the sun, was styled beautifully for the Royal Variety Performance. 

Having reported on her every Royal Variety Performance look, I know that her tresses were styled in tonnes of bouncy waves and pushed over her shoulders to emphasise the neckline of her beautiful, deep green Talbot Runhof gown, which had been paired with Jenny Packham's 'Casa' clutch and Manolo Blahnik pumps.