Kate Middleton’s Rare Scottish Outing and Hair Debut Captivates Royal Watchers

LONDON, August 25, 2025 - Catherine, Princess of Wales, charmed onlookers this weekend with a rare family appearance at Balmoral Castle and unveiled her lightest blonde hair yet.

Princess Kate and Prince William attended a Sunday service at Crathie Kirk on August 24, joined by their children-Prince George, 12; Princess Charlotte, 10; and Prince Louis, 7-and senior royals including King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Photographs show the Princess seated in the passenger seat of the family’s Range Rover, her honey-blonde waves catching the Scottish sunlight as she smiled beside her husband at the wheel. The outing marks one of the few times this year the couple and their three children have been seen together in public during their traditional Balmoral summer retreat.

Royal hair expert Jennifer Korab praised Kate’s new shade as “a chic, low-maintenance way to go lighter while still looking polished, sophisticated, and effortlessly modern”. Psychologist Dr. Carolyn Mair suggested the Princess’s decision to embrace a brighter look may symbolize a “renewed sense of hope and agency” following last year’s cancer treatment.

Meanwhile, Kensington Palace confirmed that later this year the Wales family will relocate from their current four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage to the larger, eight-bedroom Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park, a move insiders describe as a “fresh start” after a challenging period.

Though largely keeping a low profile since completing chemotherapy in September 2024, Princess Kate has intermittently stepped into the public eye-most recently sending warm encouragement to the England women’s rugby team at the start of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup on August 22 (“Wishing the Red Roses the very best as they kick off their campaign tonight. C.”). As summer winds down, royal watchers eagerly anticipate the Princess’s return to official duties in the coming months.