The Princess of Wales just updated her signature brunette hair to a darker chocolate shade, just in time for the festive season. The royal debuted a glossy deepened hue during her appearance at the the Royal Variety Performance, which took place at the Royal Albert Hall last week. The evening, which has been hosted annually since since 1912, saw the Prince and Princess of Wales make a rare red-carpet appearance together.
While Kate Middleton's natural tone veers closer to a neutral medium brown, which she often accentuates with brighter highlights, it's undeniable that this freshened colour is equally as flattering.
Kate's latest gloss was styled in a voluminous yet intentionally sleek blow-dry, complete with a face-framing A-line fringe – a timeless style she has become known for. With a darker, warmer tone and a mirror-shine finish, this is the perfect winter hair colour for brunettes seeking a subtle but striking seasonal tint.
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The modern chocolate tone is yet another unexpected alternative for Kate, who experimented with a polished low-slung bun while promoting her Shaping Us campaign on early childhood in Kent last month – a hairstyle rarely sported by HRH. While this updated shade doesn't divulge too far from the her trademark hue, we're undeniably invested in the beauty evolution she has undergone in recent years.
In the make-up department, Kate opted for an upgraded version of her typical red-carpet beauty look: a smouldering smoky eye in flattering golden tones, a monochromatic peachy lip and cheek, and a pared-back complexion.
The Princess of Wales completed her ensemble with a classic cape-sleeve Safiyaa dress in a sophisticated teal-blue hue.
Katie Withington (she/her) is the Beauty Writer, at ELLE UK and Harper’s Bazaar. Working alongside the ELLE UK Beauty Team, she covers all things beauty for both print and digital, from finding backstage make-up trends at London Fashion Week and investigating buzzy skincare ingredients, to unzipping the beauty bags of Hailey Bieber and Margot Robbie. Prior to joining ELLE UK in 2022, Katie studied (BA) Fashion Journalism at London College of Fashion and has previously contributed to Red, Good Housekeeping and Prima.
![jodie turner smith new bob met gala new york, new york may 05: jodie turner smith attends the 2025 met gala celebrating superfine: tailoring black style at metropolitan museum of art on may 05, 2025 in new york city. (photo by dimitrios kambouris/getty images for the met museum/vogue)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/gettyimages-2213610212-688772f19e73e.jpg?crop=0.500xw:0.750xh;0.257xw,0.0204xh&resize=360:* "Jodie Turner-Smith new bob The 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" - Arrivals")
