Kate Middleton Wasn't Doing Herself Any Favors With This Hairstyle (& We're Glad It's Gone)

Princess Catherine's hair is arguably one of her best features, but there's one hairstyle she tried out that we're glad she's never gone back to. Over the years, Kate Middleton has become known for her thick, luxurious hair that's always perfectly coiffed. Even as a young royal, early in her relationship with her future husband, Prince William, her hair always seemed photo-shoot ready, but not in an overdone way. And it's only gotten better with time! In fact, Kate's best hairstyles rival even the most perfect salon blowouts or updos. The person she has to thank for this is, of course, her long-time hairstylist, Richard Ward, who even crafted her gorgeous wedding hair for her royal wedding to William.

But Kate's hair isn't just gorgeous. It's remarkably healthy, too — especially for its length. "In simple terms, the longer the hair, the 'older' the hair and the more susceptible to damage (particularly at the ends) so there's no doubt (nor surprise!) that Catherine, the Princess of Wales, will have a great hair care regime, with a hydrating and protecting shampoo/conditioner at the very root of her daily routine," shared trichologist Eva Proudman with Hello! in June 2025. But diet also plays a role. "I cannot emphasize how much a healthy diet impacts the hair of our health — particularly growth — so I'm sure that Catherine follows a well-balanced diet, packed full of protein, rich in iron and containing a colorful mix of vegetables, fruit and healthy fat, too," she added.

Unfortunately, Kate's track record with hair isn't totally flawless, as she once experimented with a style that didn't do her any favors (and we're glad it's gone).

Princess Catherine ushered in the 2023 fall season with a brand new look, but it completely missed the mark. While she's known for wearing her long, layered hair in curly blowouts, usually styled with a deep side part, she decided to grow out her fringe and embrace curtain bangs. But as you can see in the photo above, the long, face-framing bangs totally detracted from Kate Middleton, who seemed to get lost underneath the extra hair in her face. And while the future queen doesn't often take unflattering photos, this particular style definitely negatively impacted her usually flawless beauty.

Interestingly, we're not the only ones who didn't love Kate's hair transformation. On Reddit, royal fans gathered to express their disappointment in this particular style on the future queen. "Nope, I can't stand the curtain bangs," commented one user. "The style just looks like an ill-considered impulse cut." A second user shot down the look because of its association with Bravo stars. "This is the hairstyle that immediately comes to mind when I think about shows like Selling Sunset or the Real Housewives. It isn't very modern or chic," they wrote. Ouch! Meanwhile, another user felt that the style overwhelmed the beloved royal. "This is actually my least favorite hairstyle she has had. It's so heavy. I like when she wears is a little shorter with a side part," they wrote.

Fortunately, it seems that Kate's curtain bangs are but a tiny blip in her hair history and unlikely to return (at least we hope).