Kate Middleton changes her hair colour more than you might think! All her transformations over the years

The Duchess loves to experiment with shades

Acting Fashion and Beauty Editor

February 2, 2021Feb 2, 2021, 3:03 PM GMT

The Duchess of Cambridge may be well known for her glossy brunette locks, but she does like to change up her look from time to time! In fact, Kate is rarely seen with just a straight-up dark tone to her hair - she likes to add dimension with sun-kissed pieces, or even auburn tones.

Of course, one thing never changes, and that's the elegant styling of her locks - whether it's up or down, straight or curly, the royal always nails her classic look. Scroll down to see all her royal colour changes over the years!

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Kate switched up her look as she took part in a video call with nurses in her role as patron of the Nursing Now campaign back in January, swapping her trademark tousled waves for straightened hair. She still appeared to have some blonde running through her hair, although it now seems much more subtle than when she first unveiled her lighter locks in 2020.

Following the coronavirus lockdown in the UK, Kate made an appearance in Sheffield rocking some subtle blonde pieces in her hair. It looked like she had added some shorter, face-framing layers, too - no doubt she was thrilled to have been able to see her stylist once salons reopened…

Before that, she had been embracing the warmer tones in her hair during the lockdown - while some speculated that she had had a go at dyeing it at home.

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During her royal visit to Ireland in March 2020, Kate seemed to rocking a freshly-chopped style, with a flattering chocolate brown tone.

But in January of that year, she was embracing a more auburn shade - and just look at that intricate style!

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Christmas 2019 saw the royal wearing a subtle chestnut look.

During her appearance at the King's Cup sailing regatta in August 2019, she appeared to be wearing much more blonde in her hair - but was it the result of her summer holiday to Mustique, or a salon appointment?

Earlier in 2019, Kate opted for a natural chestnut brown look - seen above - with some beautiful face-framing highlights through the front of her hair.

More recently, she has been choosing looser curls rather than the tighter bouncy blow-dry she formerly favoured.

But just in December 2018, the Duchess appeared to have gone for a slightly warmer look, with fewer highlights. Just look at that shine!

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In February of that year, while pregnant with Prince Louis, Kate was rocking a darker, cooler brown - seen here at the annual BAFTA awards. For the glamorous evening, the Duchess chose to for a fuller look with her hairstyle - she wouldn't want to show up those glittering emeralds, eh?

Kate was wearing her hair long and dark at the beginning of 2017 - here she is at a Heads Together event in London, which she attended with Prince William and Prince Harry.

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Later that year she cropped it much shorter, wearing it in a rare mid-parting and adding some subtle blonde pieces once again. You can't blame a brunette for wanting to go a little lighter during the summer!

These shots of Kate taken in October 2016 show several blonde highlights underneath her thick dark hair, which have been pulled through in her ponytail.

Pictured a month later in November, she appears to be sporting an on-trend balayage! Gorgeous.

For Christmas engagements in 2015, it was a darker chocolate brown and a parted fringe, which Kate called her 'mum fringe' at the time!

She'd previously been wearing it in a longer, lighter look throughout the year. Wouldn't you love to see her try this again? Her stylist Richard Ward dubbed it the 'gringe' - or the grown-out fringe - though apparently, Kate was a bit unsure about the change at the time.

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In her earlier years as a royal, Kate often wore her hair down and loose in a natural brunette tone. Here she is photographed during her 2014 visit to Canberra during a three-week tour of Australia and New Zealand - the first official trip with a young Prince George!

During her first pregnancy, she had some pretty bold blonde highlights put in, seen here at the wedding of William van Cutsem and Rosie Ruck Keene in May 2013.

The lightest (and probably the most natural!) we've ever seen Kate's hair is arguably during the Duke and Duchess' tour of Singapore, Malaysia, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu in 2012! Her long locks were sun-kissed and beachy during their visit to Tavanipupu.

Unsurprisingly, for her engagement and subsequent royal wedding in 2011, the Duchess stuck to a very classic, timeless dark brunette look. Stunning!

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