Kate Middleton's New Haircut Is Actually a Return to Her "Mum Fringe"
After fans noticed that Kate Middleton had debuted much shorter hair with fringe bangs on her tour of Ireland with Prince William, they remembered that she actually debuted the cut in 2015.

- After fans noticed that Kate Middleton had debuted much shorter hair (opens in new tab) with fringe bangs on her tour of Ireland with Prince William, they remembered that she actually debuted the cut in 2015.
- At one point calling the look her "mum fringe," Kate first showed off the look after she gave birth to her daughter Princess Charlotte (opens in new tab).
- Kate's recent successful tour of Ireland was filled with a lot of gorgeous green looks (opens in new tab).
Every time Kate Middleton gets a new haircut, I am delighted by the changeup (and I imagine straight-haired girls everywhere print out a picture, take it to their hairdressers, and explain, "I'd like to look exactly like this, please."). Her recent trip to Ireland with husband Prince William was no exception—she debuted shorter hair and pretty curtain bangs that, once she took off her Gossip Girl headband, framed her face beautifully.
But it turns out that this actually isn't the first time she's worn that haircut—per HELLO! (opens in new tab),
"Fans may remember she once dubbed her 'mum fringe', after she debuted the style following the birth of Princess Charlotte. This time around, it's a little more subtle—which may be because the Duchess was reported to be a little unsure about the haircut when she first trialled it back in 2015. Since then, she's experimented with a number of styles, but she does appear to prefer some shorter lengths to frame her face."
The last time she had the haircut, it was blunter and more pronounced (and there was more hair in the fringe, making it look super-thick). I am delighted by this new, subtler look. Busy mom, lots of events: easy haircut!
For contrast, here's Kate's (much longer) hair on February 25, during a SportsAid Stars event at London Stadium:
And this is a look at her "mum fringe" in 2015:
And here she is now:
I love it!
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Katherine’s a Boston-based contributor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle—from “Clueless” to Everlane to news about Lizzo. She’s been a freelancer for 11 years and has had roles with Cosmopolitan and Bustle, with bylines in Parents, Seventeen, and elsewhere. It’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.
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