Kate’s New Honey-Blonde Highlights Spotted at Crathie Kirk, Wales 2026

Key Points

• The Princess of Wales was photographed with noticeably lighter, honey-blonde highlights while travelling to a church service at Crathie Kirk in Scotland.
• She was accompanied by Prince William and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
• Harper’s Bazaar UK reported that the family was seen through the window of their Range Rover, with the Princess also wearing a pillbox hat.
• Her hair appeared brighter than the shade she wore during her visit to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier in August.
• The change is part of a gradual move away from the Princess of Wales’s familiar rich chestnut-brown hair, rather than a completely new hairstyle.
• The outlet noted that she also wore a much blonder look during a visit to the Natural History Museum in London last September.
• The church service took place at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral, during the royal family’s traditional late-summer stay in Scotland.

Wales (Wales Times) August 27, 2026 – Princess Kate honey-blonde highlights were visible during the Princess of Wales’s family journey to a church service at Crathie Kirk in Scotland, where photographs showed a lighter, warmer variation of her established brunette hair colour.

The Princess of Wales debuted a fresh honey-blonde highlight look while travelling with Prince William and their three children to church near Balmoral, according to Harper’s Bazaar UK. The outlet reported that the colour change could be seen despite the photographs being taken through the window of the family’s Range Rover and with the Princess wearing a pillbox hat.

The appearance took place during the family’s late-summer stay in Scotland. USA Today identified the date of the outing as August 23 and reported that the Princess was travelling to Sunday service at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral Castle.

The royal was joined by the Prince of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The photographs focused on the Princess’s visibly lighter hair, which appeared to include golden and honey-toned highlights through her traditionally darker lengths.

What changed in the Princess of Wales’s hair?

As reported by Harper’s Bazaar UK, the Princess of Wales appeared with new honey-blonde highlights during the family outing. The publication characterised the shade as a late-summer refresh and said it looked brighter than her hair colour in appearances only weeks earlier.

The change was not presented as a complete departure from the Princess’s familiar look. Instead, the photographs showed a lighter treatment layered into her natural brunette base. Harper’s Bazaar UK described the Princess as being known for her signature rich, chestnut-brown hair shade, while noting that she has recently incorporated strategically placed highlights to brighten that darker tone.

The distinction is significant in reporting the appearance accurately. The available images and coverage point to a colour update rather than a drastic cut, restyle or confirmed full recolouring. Her hair remained worn in loose waves, with the brighter strands catching the light around the visible sections of her hair.

US Weekly also reported that the Princess’s chestnut-brown hair featured fresh blonde highlights in images taken at Crathie Kirk.

No statement has been issued by Kensington Palace about the colour, the salon involved or the products used. The reporting is based on photographs from the journey to church and visual comparisons with the Princess’s recent public appearances.

Where was Princess Kate photographed?

The Princess of Wales was photographed while travelling to Crathie Kirk Church in Aberdeenshire, close to the royal family’s Balmoral estate. The church is associated with the family’s summer time in Scotland, when senior royals have traditionally spent part of August at Balmoral.

Harper’s Bazaar UK reported that the Princess travelled with Prince William and their children. USA Today also reported that the family attended the service near Balmoral Castle and described the new colour as a warmer, sun-kissed shade.

The images offered only a limited view of the Princess’s outfit because she remained inside the Range Rover. However, several reports noted her pillbox hat, while US Weekly reported that she wore a blazer, a white blouse with a pie-crust collar and gold earrings.

The outing was a private family journey to worship rather than a separately announced public engagement. As a result, the hair update became the main point of public discussion arising from the photographs.

How does the new shade compare with recent appearances?

Harper’s Bazaar UK said the latest hair colour appeared brighter than the look the Princess wore at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier in August. At that event, she retained a darker overall brunette appearance with more subtle lighter elements.

The outlet also placed the August appearance in the context of a previous, more noticeable colour change. It reported that, in September last year, the Princess appeared at London’s Natural History Museum with a significantly brighter blonde look, described as one of her bolder beauty changes.

This latest version appears more restrained. Rather than replacing the brunette base, the honey-blonde highlights add warmth and dimension while leaving the darker colour visible through the rest of the hair.

Marie Claire reported that the current colour was lighter than the Princess’s appearance earlier this month but less dramatic than the blonde transformation seen the previous summer.

That progression matters because it avoids overstating a small but visible appearance change. The photographs support the description of honey-blonde or sun-kissed highlights, but they do not establish whether the result came from salon colour, seasonal lightening, styling or a combination of those factors.

What did Harper’s Bazaar UK report?

The supplied Harper’s Bazaar UK report centred on the visual update rather than any official royal announcement. The article said the Princess appeared with lighter hair during the Crathie Kirk journey and compared it with her established chestnut-brown shade and recent appearances.

The publication did not include a direct comment from the Princess of Wales, Prince William, Kensington Palace or a hair stylist in the material available for this report. It also did not identify a specific hair-colour technique or confirm when the highlights were applied.

For that reason, the development should be reported as a photographed appearance rather than as a confirmed personal announcement by the Princess. The available evidence supports that she was seen with warmer, lighter highlights; it does not support broader claims about the reason for the change.

Background: Why has the Princess’s hair attracted attention?

The Princess of Wales has long been associated with glossy, dark brunette hair, often styled in polished waves. Changes to that recognisable look regularly draw attention because public photographs of senior royals are widely circulated, particularly during family appearances at Balmoral.

Harper’s Bazaar UK reported that the Princess has lately used highlights to brighten her natural darker colour and recalled her lighter appearance at the Natural History Museum last September. The recent Crathie Kirk photographs therefore fit into a visible sequence of gradual colour variation rather than an isolated change.

The setting also contributed to the interest. Crathie Kirk is close to Balmoral, where the royal family commonly spends part of the summer. The family’s arrival by vehicle offered photographers a brief view, but the lighter sections of the Princess’s hair were still noticeable in the images.

Prediction: How could this affect royal-fashion audiences?

For royal-fashion and beauty audiences, the appearance is likely to renew interest in warm brunette-to-blonde colour transitions, especially styles that retain a darker base while adding lighter strands around the face and through the lengths.

Coverage may also prompt comparisons between the Princess’s current highlights and her previous lighter looks. However, the available reporting does not confirm a named hairstyle, colour formula or product, so readers and beauty writers should avoid presenting any specific technical description as official.

For the wider public, the development is unlikely to affect royal duties or policy. Its immediate impact is more likely to remain within fashion, beauty and royal-style coverage, where subtle changes in the Princess of Wales’s appearance have historically generated attention.