Princess Catherine of Wales as a blonde – it could be her Tupperware moment
Princess Catherine of Wales has a new ’do.
She’s brighter, lighter and has more luscious locks than we’ve seen before.
Appearing alongside Prince William during an official visit to the National History Museum her signature chestnut-brown hair was significantly brassier, longer and lighter and curlier this week.
The blonder touches to her usual brown hair caught the attention of the internet. Opinion was divided and loud. Some saying she looked great, others saying it’s aged her, another section of the peanut gallery chimed in cruelly suggesting appeared if she stole Queen Elizabeth I’s wig.
It’s fitting she chose the home of history to debut a new ‘bronde’ look. You too would be keen to leave the recent past behind if you’re her. She’s changing things up, potentially wanting to shed some of the baggage she’s acquired over the last couple of years.
The Princess of Wales endured months of cancer treatment and speculation in the press about her health and wellbeing have plagued the House of Windsor for years now.
The worrying waft has hung around Catherine, worse than the remnants of a Harry and Meghan roast chicken dinner which the pair left in the bin when they fled Frogmore Cottage.
New hairstyles signify a shift, and most usually occur following a significant life event, like a break up, recovery from illness, a new job.
Blondes allegedly have more fun and it’s about time the future queen get her kicks.
Why shouldn’t she?
The kids are all in school, she’s well enough to return to work and if William can experiment with his hair, albeit the facial kind, why can’t she before the rubber hits the road and the pair inherit the throne?
It is, of course, trite to be talking about someone’s tresses when that person is (hopefully) at the tail end of an arduous health scare. However she isn’t your regular Kate, her hair will be the cushion for the Commonwealth’s crown jewels someday.
She, like her late grandmother-in-law, knows the power of her image and what is projected on her as a senior member of the royal family who must float above commentary. The new ‘do heralds a new chapter for her.
There is a high level of sentimentality to hair for those with cancer. Subsequent hair loss is said to be deeply distressing for some, according to organisations like Wigs4Kids and the World’s Greatest Shave by the Leukemia Foundation. While Catherine reportedly didn’t experience it during her treatment, it is an element of the journey that can mark a huge shift in someone’s identity, confidence and normalcy.
Her fresh colour perhaps signals a celebration of a new chapter with a subtle nod to her former self.
Yet, it is a truth universally acknowledged that blondes are poorer - both financially and time wise.
Keeping up appearances with your appearance, as a woman, can be a full time job. Especially if your appearance is your main gig. Foils, bleaching, toning, not to mention hair extensions to add that extra volume, can take an entire day just to maintain and cost north of $1000 for each visit.
It’s also well known that for a woman in her 40s, like Catherine, the concept of fifty shades of grey has an entirely different, less erotic, premise.
Our natural decrease in melanin coincides with a decrease in patience for expensive, almost weekly touch ups at the hair salon.
Much like the late Queen opting to store her morning Cornflakes in Tupperware, Catherine using more bleach is clever move in this cost of living crisis.
She has form with being savvy, remember this is the future queen who did her own make up for her wedding to the heir to the throne back in 2011.
Potentially we’re all reading the new lighter hair era wrong. Catherine could just be leaning into the royal’s decree of “never complain, never explain” (about your hair) by dying it lighter in a bid to make regular maintenance of her aging follicles less arduous than an episode of ‘With Love, Meghan’.
I mean, going blonder to hide the greys, now that’s - to borrow a phrase from her sister-in-law - “authentic”.
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