Why Kate Middleton’s sleek new hairstyle is a great choice for women in their 40s

She has shed the signature soft, buttery caramel highlights that have lifted her natural dark brunette hair for a number of years, most recently at the Christmas carol service she hosted at Westminster Abbey last December.

A lot can change in the barber chair in 12 weeks. Kate’s new look is almost entirely a deep chocolate brown, save for a few grown out highlights at the ends of her hair.

This color block effect is quite noticeably darker than her usual honey tones. And whether on purpose or not (we don’t think so), she even sports some natural, sparkly grays around her hairline.

The result? An approachable and far less princess style that keeps Kate’s approach to beauty looking modern and cool.

Kate is also bucking the typical seasonal hair trends which get the most requests for balayage and highlights around this time of year when the weather is getting warmer and we want our winter hair color as well as our 50 denier tights to do away with our winter hair color a little lighter and sunkissed.

As color expert Seniz Alkan of Chelsea salon Neville Hair and Beauty explains, going darker and more monochromatic is usually a reaction to having more gray hair.

“Darker hair with fewer highlights covers gray hair better,” says Alkan, who believes the Duchess is probably around 40 to 50 percent gray.

“Many of my clients in their 40’s and 50’s opt for a darker color block to camouflage gray tones, a look that needs maintenance every three or four weeks depending on how fast the hair grows.”

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Alkan also believes the Duchess applied a professional shine to the hair that makes brunette styles look shinier and healthier.

Along with a hair color change, the way she styles her hair also changes. The Duchess has stayed away from her usual swirl of royal curls. Typically administered with hair tongs — the tool of choice for anyone living in a Chelsea zip code — princess curls are the divisive kitten-heel equivalent in the beauty world. It seems like the Duchess got into it.

Whether the sleeker, softly curled style is a result of the Caribbean temperature and humidity doesn’t do the toned tresses any favors, it’s a style that really works for Kate.

Again, possibly due to the temperature, it appears she has applied a smoothing cream or balm through her hair to tame any frizz or flyaways.

There’s also a new flair and confidence, to a degree we’ve never seen in the Duchess before.

At a reception on Monday night, she tucked her hair behind her ears – a deceptively simple change popular with professional hairstylists on set, usually to add a carefree touch to the style.

While her XXL hair is almost too long for her stature — and no doubt longer than any royal has ever had — Kate gets away with it because of the ease of styling and the color block effect.

“With a full head of rich, deep chocolate, Kate’s hair immediately looks expensive and modern,” says colorist Anita Rice of Buller & Rice Salon in London.

“It’s a departure from her usual beach balayage highlights and a lot more elegant. It’s the kind of brunette you see in Old Hollywood—a rich shade that looks instantly classy.”

Whatever the reasons for the Duchess’ new look, one thing is for sure — her 40s sees her entering a new decade with a shiny new confidence, of which her hair is the most literal example.

© Telegraph Media Group Ltd. 2022