Catherine, Princess of Wales(Kate Middleton) Puts an End to Her Bad Hair Week - Royal Family Story.

Catherine, Princess of Wales(Kate Middleton) Puts an End to Her Bad Hair Week.

The Princess of Wales tied returned her controversial “bronde” hair to cheer on the England women’s rugby team.

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, bravely took her new hair—the most polarizing royal story of the week—for a spin on Saturday evening, tying it lower back to guide the England group in the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

It was once a extra profitable day out for her new “bronde” locks than their public debut at an match in London this week, when the new appear was once dutifully praised via the mainstream British media however monstered online, with critics announcing she regarded like she was once carrying a wig or hair extensions (both denied with the aid of her office).

One stylist and make-up artist, talking anonymously as they have often labored for a number of royals, informed the Daily Beast, “On Kate, it simply appears a bit tacky. I hate to say it, however she appears extra like an influencer than a royal.”

Her look before this week was once Kate’s first full day trip except the guiding hand of Natasha “Tash” Archer, her depended on aide and stylist of almost two decades. Archer, who started working with Kate in the early 2010s, formally left her rent in July 2025 to launch her very own consultancy, even though she remained loosely concerned for a brief transition period.

Archer used to be no longer a hairdresser, however she curated Kate’s complete look: the stability of colors, the concord between gown, jewels, and hair. She used to be in truth the architect of what grew to become recognised as the “Kate effect.”

To lose that regular hand and right away debut a seem to be that has divided opinion so sharply underscores how tons her absence is felt.

I requested my buddy how lots they thinking the absence of Archer would possibly have been accountable for the debacle formerly this week.

They said: “Archer put the whole thing collectively for Kate. She used to be there on each and every trip, she used to be there when she had to face the cameras after the start of her youngsters for god’s sake. She was once her rock, so it’s a big loss. I’m instructed she was once any one who knew how to say, ‘maybe not’ to Kate which is so important. Personally I suppose Kate used to be mad to let her go and she used to be mad to leave. Kate ought to get her back. The gossip is that Archer was once annoyed via Kate now not doing many events, but, you know, that is going to alternate one of these days.”

Saturday’s look used to be greater to the source’s liking: “Tying the hair lower back was once a clever cross due to the fact it has reined in the greater overt caramel tones,” they said. “It’s additionally squashed the hypothesis she used to be sporting a wig. She is now not sporting a wig, that’s very clear, however it virtually appears like she is sporting extraordinarily steeply-priced hair extensions.”

Another supply in the trend world informed the Daily Beast: “Her hair appears higher tied lower back due to the fact it’s very based to have your hair 1/2 up and half of down. Because the hair extensions are so voluminous she seemed atypical with all of it down. No one’s hair appears like that at her age. She appeared like a mermaid. Now she has tied it back, she has stunning thick hair, however it’s no longer overwhelming her head.”

The supply added: “I have heard that she has in reality had hair extensions for a lengthy time, so I assume what came about is she simply went a bit far. That happens.

“I assume the hair extensions she has now are out of proportion. Had she no longer long past pretty as a long way with them, no one would have suspected. But it appears magnificent pulled again due to the fact she is a stunning lady so I suppose all and sundry is going to be very, very pleased now.”

Saturday’s appear was once honestly an awful lot extra dependent than Thursday’s, when Kate seemed like a mouse peeking out of a haystack.

Although the mainstream U.K. media gave her seem the breathless treatment, dashing to anoint it as the “start of a new trend,” the usage of language that placed her as a fashion leader, the web disagreed, eventually prompting Princess Diana’s former stylist Sam McKnight to come to her defense.

McKnight—the hairstylist who gave Princess Diana her iconic late-1990s look, that soft, layered, gently rebellious reduce that symbolized each her vulnerability and her autonomy—denounced the on line pile-on in opposition to Kate, writing on Instagram that “a woman’s hair is very non-public to her. It’s armor, defence, self assurance and so an awful lot more.”

In phrases that reduce thru the noise, he reminded critics of the fact of Kate’s illness: “Cancer influences people differently, however is existence altering for everyone. So FFS LEAVE HER ALONE. SHAME ON YOU.”

Stylist Jo Hayes of EtiquetteExpert.Org informed the Daily Beast: “Her brunette locks have lengthy set her aside as a sophisticated, elegant, royal — one who commonly eschews ‘style trends,’ opting as an alternative for a greater classic, subtle look. Personally, I assume brunette fits her complexion a long way higher than blonde. She is clearly smashing as an based brunette. There’s some argument that the colour is being used to cowl greys— blonde is normally less difficult than deep brown for such matters. But I assume the future queen has adequate hair helpers to maintain on pinnacle of grey coverage.”

The easy truth is that after years in which her glossy, chestnut blow-dry was once considered no longer simply her aesthetic crowning glory however additionally an photo of continuity at a time of tons royal change, it was once naive to count on Kate to show up in public with a dramatically distinctive seem and now not anticipate it to be microscopically scrutinized.

Ultimately, the trouble is that the hair-down appear we noticed on Thursday simply didn’t examine as royal. Kate’s historic seem to be was once aristocratic, rolling, and unmistakably hers. The “bronde” Kate with bouncy, buttery curls regarded like any person you are extra in all likelihood to come upon on Instagram Reels than a Sandringham drawing room.

The Princess of Wales has been via a serious illness, and it goes barring pronouncing that she has the proper to scan with her look as she wishes.

But in the House of Windsor, look is substance. Hair, clothes, the smallest small print are phase of a language the household has lengthy used to assignment stability, continuity, and authority. The monarchy has lengthy invested visible cues with near-mystical import, so it can hardly ever whinge when human beings determine these visible cues matter.

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has indeed turned heads—and silenced some critics—by styling her newly debuted “bronde” (a blend of brunette and blonde) hair in a sleek half-updo during a public outing on September 6, 2025. The look marked a stylish pivot from the voluminous, down-and-out style that sparked online backlash just days earlier when she first appeared with the lighter locks at London’s Natural History Museum on September 4.

The “Bad Hair Week” Backlash.

Kate’s bronde transformation, which lightened her signature brunette shade with caramel highlights, was meant to refresh her post-summer vibe—possibly inspired by time in the sun during the royal family’s yacht holiday in Greece. But the debut didn’t go over well with everyone. Social media erupted with harsh comments, accusing her of wearing a “tacky” wig, ill-fitting extensions, or simply looking “like a mermaid” or “a mouse peeking out of a haystack.” Critics questioned the volume (“No one’s hair looks like that at her age”) and even speculated it was a health-related cover-up tied to her past cancer treatment. One Reddit user called it “a complete disaster,” while others on X (formerly Twitter) demanded her team be held accountable. British media praised it as “regal,” but the online pile-on highlighted the relentless scrutiny Kate faces, with stylist Sam McKnight (Princess Diana’s former hair guru) blasting the “nasty” and “evil” remarks as lacking empathy.

Sources close to the royal circle pointed to the recent departure of Kate’s longtime stylist Natasha Archer as a factor. Archer, who curated the Princess’s holistic looks for years, was seen as the “architect” of her polished image—someone who could gently say “maybe not” to bold choices. Without her steady hand, the extensions may have been overdone, leading to the “overwhelming” effect when worn loose.

Putting an End to the Drama.

Enter the rugby match: Kate attended the Women’s Rugby World Cup game between England and Australia in Brighton, England, as patron of the Rugby Football Union. By tying her hair back into an elegant half-up style, she tamed the caramel tones, reduced the volume, and quashed wig rumors. Fashion insiders approved, noting it looked “more elegant” and “reined in” the extensions while showcasing her natural thickness. “Tying the hair back was a smart move,” one source told The Daily Beast, adding that it made her “lovely thick hair” shine without overpowering her features. The half-updo—practical for a windy outdoor event—echoed Kate’s go-to strategies for bad hair days, like low ponytails or updos during royal tours, proving once again that even princesses prioritize function with flair.

This isn’t Kate’s first hair rodeo; she’s navigated wind-whipped blowouts (hello, 2015 London gale) and frizzy moments on tour. But the bronde experiment, post-cancer recovery and amid a family move to a new £16 million “forever home,” feels like a bold reclaiming of control. As psychotherapist Eloise Skinner notes, a fresh ‘do can symbolize empowerment and a “new beginning” after trauma—much like Miley Cyrus’s post-breakup pixie or everyday women dyeing for a confidence boost. Kate’s quick pivot shows her adaptability; the bronde stays (minus the drama), and the “bad hair week” is officially over.

Tags: Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince Louis, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Meghan, Lilibet

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