Expert reveals ‘reason why' Kate Middleton made major change to her appearance

Kate Middleton’s new look has been analysed by a behavioural expert who claims the Princess of Wales is ‘looking forward to the next chapter’ of both her personal and private life.

Earlier this month (24 August), the 43-year-old royal was spotted in Scotland with her husband William, Prince of Wales, and their three young children: Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and their youngest, Prince Louis, seven.

The quintet were snapped driving in a Range Rover to a church service at Crathie Kirk, with Kate, Princess of Wales, opting to wear a dark berry-coloured coat with a matching hat.

The royal family were later joined by King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, and Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh at the church, situated near Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire.

Kate Middleton has traditionally had brunette locks (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)

Fans who saw the photographs of Kate and her clan online were quick to notice that the mother-of-three was sporting a major new look.

While still in possession of a brown barnet, the princess’s hair was noticeably lighter than previously seen at summer engagements like the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.

Commenting on her ‘hair transformation’, one X user typed: “Royal glow-up alert!”

“Nice to see her looking so well after her health struggles. The blonde suits her,” said someone else.

Behavioural expert explains Kate Middleton’s new look

Photographers snapped Kate Middleton with lighter locks on in a car on the way to church (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Analysing Kate’s new hairstyle, behavioural and body language expert Darren Stanton said: “When people change their hair in such a dramatic way, it’s all about renewal, confidence, change and evolution.

“This is the most dramatic and significant change she can make on an external basis.”

On behalf of Betfair Slots, the professional continued: “While this would be a small thing in a normal person, she knows that this will go viral globally.

“Internally she’s feeling very powerful, in the best possible way - she’s feeling empowered.”

Darren added that the Princess of Wales’ major appearance change is a demonstration of how ‘confident and empowered' she’s feeling and that she is ‘looking forward to the next chapter’.

“Not just in a personal sense but also in her professional life,” he added.

Lady Diana also debuted new looks during her reign as Princess of Wales

Diana, Princess of Wales, was known to chop and change between hairstyles, having sported everything from a bob-pixie blend to pin-straight locks.

Revered stylist Sam McKnight once told Vogue that the iconic Lady Diana haircut came about because she asked him an innocent question.

“When I met Diana, things were changing,” the 70-year-old explained. “We were moving on from the '80s romantic frills and going much sleeker with short, sharp hair to wear with Chanel and Versace suits of the time. It was all about the power woman look.”

When Diana asked him what he would do to her hair if he could do anything he wanted, he said: "I’d just cut it all off and start again."

Diana, Princess of Wales, was also known to change up her hairstyles (Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Daniel Galvin, 81, another hair wizz, revealed he once produced a ‘customised blonde’ to suit her.

“Highlights were placed in such a way which gave her a natural, sun-kissed look,” he told Hello! Magazine in 2019.

“Diana’s eyes sparkled and stood out, and this was thanks to my bespoke blonde – as I always say, when you have the perfect hair colour, the first thing people should notice is their eyes."