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Kate Middleton forewent her usual signature princess hairstyle at a recent evening reception hosted in Belize, choosing instead a slicked back style favored by Meghan Markle.
Prince William and Kate are currently undertaking a week-long tour of the Caribbean to mark Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee and the duchess' looks have been as closely analyzed as ever.
Planned tour stops include visits to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas, and will conclude on March 27.
To an evening reception on Monday hosted by the Governor General of Belize, Kate wore a sparkling pink dress by the brand The Vampire's Wife. With this glittering look the duchess opted for a hairstyle which is not her usual choice.
Since her engagement in 2010, Kate's lustrous locks have been dubbed by the press as a perfect example of "princess hair." This was prompted by her taste for wearing her long hair loose about her shoulders which was unusual for royal women. Before her, most royals have either worn their hair up like Princess Anne, or had their hair styled short like the queen or Princess Diana who favored an even shorter cut.
Kate wore her hair on Monday straightened with a center parting and pulled tightly behind the ears. This style is like one favored by Kate's sister-in-law Meghan who debuted almost an identical look at the Mountbatten Music Festival at the Royal Albert Hall in 2020 with Prince Harry.
Meghan's hair, like Kate's, has gone through many style changes over the years but often returns to a tightly slicked back look either pulled into a bun at the back of the head or left loose to fall down the neck.
This is not the first time that the sisters-in-law have tried out each other's hairstyles. At the 2022 NAACP Image Awards, Meghan appeared to accept the prestigious President's Award wearing her hair in cascading waves across one shoulder. This was reminiscent of a style loved by Kate who wore it to the Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in 2020.
Kate's decision to choose a slicked back style for an outside evening reception in Belize is somewhat surprising, given humidity in the region can average annually at 90 percent—playing havoc with the best laid hair plans.
The last night of the visit to Belize marked an important moment on William and Kate's Caribbean tour.
On landing in Belize, the couple were forced to reschedule a planned visit to a cocoa farm owing to anti-colonialism protests staged by locals. As she stepped off the plane Kate wore a Jenny Packham blue suit in Belizean blue. Her hair was styled in a favorite "half-up-half-down" fashion which photographed well as wind swept through the airport's tarmac where an official reception was to be.
On the second day of the visit, Kate returned to a looser style with her hair left to fall to the shoulders with a natural wave. The duchess also wore a Tory Burch day dress as she danced during a traditional Garifuna festival with locals.
From princess hair to chic slicked back looks, Kate's packed royal schedule means that the demands on her wardrobe and her hair are both important factors in getting the job done. As Queen Elizabeth II said, "I have to be seen to be believed" and an important way to ensure a royal woman is seen, especially on a royal tour, is through what she chooses to wear and how she wears it.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more