On an anniversary trip to Scotland with Prince William on April 30, Kate Middleton surprised us by debuting a new hair color. Celebrating their 14th anniversary (where does the time go?!), the Princess of Wales debuted a new hair shade for the celebration. As for what color her hair is now? It’s a much lighter brown than we typically see from her. It would be a step too far to call her blonde, but it’s definitely not the darker brunette we’ve come to know her for. Rather, she’s something in the middle now: bronde.
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If you haven’t heard of the trendy bronde hair color, it’s a combination of the words brunette and blonde, which is exactly how we’d describe Middleton’s new style. We clocked bronde as one of the top hair-color trends of 2025, and it seems as if the Princess of Wales (and her hair colorist) is on board too. Expect to see more bronde blends throughout the year. “These shades sit in the in-between space between blondes and light brunettes that look seamlessly highlighted and don’t go all the way to white-bright blonde tones,” says Madison Reed master colorist Shvonne Perkins.
Bronde is much more low-maintenance than going full blonde, especially if you have brunette roots that pop up in between salon appointments. And if you have some grays showing, the lighter shade helps hide them more than a dark brunette, which creates a strong contrast between those silver strands. “These shades look more natural and softer than what we’ve been seeing the past couple of years in heavily highlighted and platinum looks with darker roots,” Perkins continues. “The blend is more seamless.” If you are starting with blonde or highlighted hair, you can achieve this look by perfecting your tone with a hair mask or hair gloss.
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Though the Princess of Wales is leaning into this new hair era, it’s not the first time we’ve seen her change up her style, either. Back in 2016, we saw her in bangs for a short-lived period. And then, in September 2023, she brought back bangs again, but this time they were longer, showing off some ever-trending curtain bangs for a flattering, face-framing look.
Curtain bangs are much less of a commitment and pretty much universally flattering. “Curtain bangs are the gateway to bangs, because they’re super versatile,” says Emily Heser, a hairstylist in New York City. And curtain bangs have one additional distinctive feature: They “are a middle-part bang on the longer side,” hairstylist Eduardo Ponce says. No side part here! “The cut is meant to frame the face and isn’t as harsh as front bangs.” Like curtains frame a window, they frame the face (hence the name). From there, the Princess of Wales went with even shorter fringe. But lately, she’s been growing out her long tresses.
This time around, Kate Middleton hasn’t changed her haircut—simply the color—and we’re here for this trendy new look.