Kate Middleton Goes Blond ...ish

Do blondes truly have more fun? Let’s look no further than Princess Kate Middleton, who unveiled a dramatic hair transformation today as she returned to her Royal duties this morning in London.

Joined by her husband, Prince William, the Princess of Wales turned up to the Natural History Museum gardens with her hair significantly lightened. The Princess, long known for her famous chestnut tresses, rocked light, blonde summer highlights that were mixed throughout her natural brown hue. Styled in a just-of-center part with soft curls trailing down her chest and back, the dye job marked the Princess’s most shocking (and longest) hair to date.

To prove that going blonde isn’t merely a summer phenomenon, Middleton accented her beauty look with an ensemble full of her fall signatures. She wore a wool suit jacket with a crisp Oxford shirt, which she styled with black tapered trousers and brown suede flats.

Middleton’s latest outing marks her first public appearance since she attended the Wimbledon Championships on July 13. During that occasion, the Princess was seen sporting her signature dark brown hair, styling it in a side part and elegant waves that fell onto her back.

However, since Middleton has returned to royal duty following chemotherapy treatment, she’s been more willing to lighten her hair from its natural color—but this blonde moment is her most significant yet.

There had been speculation that Middleton was blonde since as early as August, when she was seen at Balmoral Castle in Scotland with golden brown hair. And while her new look could be the natural result of some time spent in the sun this summer (the Waleses vacationed in Greece during July), all signs point to the transformation as being intentional—a new look for the new season ahead.