First, there was the blue-and-black or white-and-gold dress. Now, the internet has found a new optical illusion to debate: Kate Middleton’s hair.
The Princess of Wales appeared to have dramatically lightened her locks earlier this month when she and Prince William visited the new gardens at London’s Natural History Museum. Stepping out after the couple’s summer break, Kate swapped her signature brunette shade for a much blonder look — one that fans quickly praised. “That’s a gorgeous colour!” one admirer gushed online, while another noted: “Talk about a hair transformation.”
But less than a week later, confusion struck. During her September 8 visit to the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, photographs showed her hair looking noticeably darker. Some even speculated she had abandoned the blonde entirely and returned to her natural brunette. The mystery, however, was soon explained: lighting and camera angles had created the illusion of a colour change.
The debate resurfaced at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral on September 16 at Westminster Cathedral. In some Getty images, Kate’s hair appeared so pale it looked almost silver, while her black Catherine Walker coat dress looked navy blue. Other photos from the same event confirmed her outfit was indeed black and her hair remained honey blonde.
Social media lit up with reactions to the contradictory images. “Am I suddenly colourblind? She was wearing black from head to toe, and her hair wasn’t grey either,” one baffled user asked. Another complained: “I don’t know who is playing around with filters, lighting and contrast but the Princess of Wales was certainly not in navy.”
Others simply laughed at the strange inconsistency: “Every time I look at these pictures, it seems like she had 1000 outfit and hair changes.”
Whether blonde, brunette, or even silver in certain shots, Kate’s hair has once again managed to do what only a handful of viral moments can: spark a full-on internet debate, proving that sometimes the trickiest illusion of all is simply the play of light.
