The Rare Times Kate Middleton Traded Her Bouncy Curls For Sleeker Styles

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Every time Kate Middleton steps out, whether it be for a royal engagement or a simple stroll, her hair gets people talking. Her glossy mane is so iconic it often causes even more of a stir than Middleton's fashion mishaps, as a 2014 poll by PromotionalCodes.org.uk crowned the Princess of Wales as having the most sought after hair, besting both Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé. One voter even lamented (via Yahoo! News), "Kate Middleton has beautiful hair. I'm sure she has her off days but we never see her without a hair out of place."

But while healthy, bouncy curls are undoubtedly her signature, there are a handful of times the future Queen of England has strayed from her trademark tresses. In addition to the occasions Middleton proved short hair is totally her look, she's ditched her long, blown-out style in favor of something straighter and sleeker. And we have to say, she looks just as gorgeous without a visit from her curling wand.

While presenting the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design at the Design Museum in 2022, Kate Middleton sported one of her straightest hair looks ever. Her brunette locks were down in a simple, yet defined center part. Speaking to Daily Mail about the 'do, hairdresser Richard Ward said, "This was a fresh and modern look that made her appear glowing and youthful. [As] much as I love Her Royal Highness's signature bouncy blow-dry, this hairstyle took years off her."

During a visit to Belize in 2022, Kate Middleton wore her locks straight and down again with the front sections slicked down and tucked behind her ears. Celebrity stylist Tom Smith told Daily Mail the royal likely opted for this style because it was quick and easy, and it may also have helped her beat the heat. "Long smooth hair with a middle parting tucked behind the ears is a really good way for the hair to look tidy, tailored and polished," Smith said.

Also in 2022, Kate Middleton showed us she can pull off a rare, slicked back up-do, too. The working royal stunned during a visit to Jamaica with her dark locks pulled back to show off her enviable bone structure, complete with a flattering, slight side part. Not only was this one of her rarely seen sleek styles, it was also one of the few times we've seen her with her tresses so slicked down without a little teasing to add volume or looser sections around her face.

Kate Middleton returned to her long, tucked style for the 2022 premiere of "Top Gun: Maverick." There wasn't a fly-away or broken strand in sight, though her incredibly glossy locks still looked thick and voluminous. "Tucking the hair behind the ears ... helps to make her cheekbones and jawline pop, showing off her luminous skin and bringing attention to her eyes, which really elevates her face and gives her a youthful glow," Lily Jeffreys, senior stylist and color technician at Taylor Taylor London, told Express.

In an Instagram video from early 2021, Kate Middleton proved Covid-19 restrictions wouldn't stop her having lustrous locks, complete with a slight side part and thick, healthy ends. Though she usually incorporates curls or waves into a look like this, her hair was straight with a little movement at the ends. The slickness may be down to The Ordinary's 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Moroccan Argan Oil, as former palace cleaner Anne Simmons told Edit Suits (via Marie Claire), "She'd work a little through the ends of her hair after brushing."

Kate Middleton's hair was impossibly glossy again in 2020 during a royal visit to Ireland. The star put her own twist on sleek (seeing as she's not one for a totally slicked down 'do) and instead focused on cutting down fly-aways and frizz via her just past shoulder-length locks. Her straight hair looked polished, and her team styled the ends inward for a flattering aesthetic that was a departure from her usual heavily blown out, curled style, without straying too far.

Though we imagine Catherine, Princess of Wales sitting alongside William, Prince of Wales with her signature, voluminous, bouncy curls or waves when he ascends the throne one day, Kate Middleton proved how regal she can make sleek locks look. In 2019, she wore long, glossy, and straight hair while wearing a tiara, which looked gorgeous atop her head as she pushed the front sections of her mane behind her ears. Simple? Yes. Effective? Double yes.

During a 2014 royal visit to Australia, Kate Middleton showed us sleek hairstyles don't always have to be devoid of volume. Kate's chic and well-styled up-do looked incredibly polished and rounded at the back. She pulled the two front sections back, but stopped short of tucking them behind her ears like when she wears her straight hair down, which stopped her tresses looking too flat and slicked down (which isn't this royal's go-to look).

Kate Middleton showed us the power of a sleeker hairstyle and tiara again in 2022, but swapped a down 'do for a sophisticated, pinned-up style. Her locks were smooth and streamlined as she sported a chic chignon while arriving at Buckingham Palace. This look was so gorgeous it's one of Kate's most iconic hair looks to date and may have been achieved using Kiehl's Crème with Silk Groom, as Kate's hairstylist Amanda Cook Tyler revealed she had the product in her kit in a since-deleted Instagram post in 2018.