Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Crowning glories: The best royal hair colour transformations of all time


Princess Kate isn’t the only one who’s turned heads with a stunning salon update — here are the other royals who debuted dramatic new looks


Image© Getty Images
Romy Journee
Romy JourneeAudience Writer
September 8, 2025
Share this:

During a royal appearance at London’s Natural History Museum in September, Princess Kate made headlines worldwide when she debuted a stunning new look. Famous for her enviable chestnut brown tresses, Kate showcased honey-blonde locks aptly fit for a princess, styled in cascading waves that remained immaculate despite the drizzly weather.

With this drastic hair transformation capturing the world’s attention – and inspiring us to book an autumn highlights appointment – we’re taking a look back at the most memorable royal hair colour swaps through the years, from the fashion-forward European royals to the trendsetting British Royal Family

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex© Wirelmage,Getty Images

Meghan's shade of brunette is much deeper now

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

While Meghan’s glossy espresso brunette has been a trademark of her royal tenure, the Duchess once sported significantly lighter locks. Meghan’s hair in the earlier seasons of her popular series Suits was a warmer shade of brown, elevated with golden highlights that gave it a sun-kissed, effortlessly LA vibe.

Princess Beatrice© Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald,Getty Images

Beatrice blended her natural colour with some lighter highlights

Princess Beatrice

In a similar fashion to the Princess of Wales, Princess Beatrice has recently erred on the blonder side of life. Known for her gorgeous auburn mane, Beatrice debuted a lighter hue at an appearance in London earlier in 2025, with effortless natural highlights blending seamlessly with her natural shade for a lived-in look.

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York© Getty Images

Sarah is known for her beautiful red locks

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York

Like her daughter, Sarah’s warm copper hair is one of her defining features, but the Duchess of York has also trialled a much lighter hue. Sarah was briefly a strawberry blonde in 2004 before returning to her roots, which she’s kept ever since.

Queen Camilla © Shutterstock,Getty Images

The Queen now favours a cool-toned shade of blonde

Queen Camilla

The Queen is known for her icy blonde tresses, but her locks used to be a much deeper shade of sandy blonde – a sunlit tone that defined the early days of her public-facing reign.

Queen Letizia© Getty Images

Queen Letizia now opts for a more darker shade of brunette

Queen Letizia

Before she became known for her sleek, chocolate brown mane, Queen Letizia of Spain was a big fan of highlights in 2014. The royal previously favoured a golden cast with lighter blonde highlights peppered throughout, which created a multi-tonal blonde look worlds away from her rich colouring nowadays.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh© PA Images via Getty Images,Getty Images

Sophie rocks her signature blonde hair perfectly

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh

Nowadays a quintessential blonde, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, once experimented with a darker ‘do when she was newly married to Prince Edward in the 2000s. Sophie went for a medium brown with lighter highlights, a sophisticated look she briefly sported before returning to her stunning blonde.

Princess Charlene© VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images,Getty Images

Princess Charlene seems to suit every shade of blonde

Princess Charlene

Princess Charlene of Monaco has rocked many shades of blonde, but is perhaps most known for her classic sandy blonde with glossy ash blonde highlights. She debuted a platinum bob in the early 2000s, a frosty-toned look that added a fun edge to her look.

Princess Diana© Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images,UK Press via Getty Images

Diana's blonde hair was one of her trademark characteristics

Princess Diana

It’s hard to believe Princess Diana was a natural brunette, considering how perfectly her luminous honey-blonde locks suited her, but Diana still sported her natural tones in her earlier days as a media darling. The classic shades of light brown suited her perfectly and gave a glimpse of the effortless glamour she would soon become famous for.

Lady Kitty Spencer© Getty Images,GC Images

Kitty prefers a lighter shade of blonde

Lady Kitty Spencer

The iconic blonde royal traded her golden locks for a rich shade of dark blonde back in 2016, a deeper hue that framed her striking face. Kitty quickly went back to blonde, however, favouring ultra-light locks with creamy highlights that look positively radiant.

Queen Máxima© Wirelmage,Getty Images

Queen Máxima has swapped bright blonde for lived-in highlights

Queen Máxima

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands might favour a darker blonde look now, but when she first joined the Dutch royal family, she opted for a much lighter golden hue. Máxima has since returned to more muted shades, and recently stunned with a gorgeous dark blonde adorned with caramel highlights.

Sign up to HELLO! Daily for all the latest and best royal coverage

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information please click here.

More Beauty
See more