Kate's regal transformation: From a 'nobody' to one of the most photographed women in the world, how the Princess of Wales looks even better now than she did in her 20s
- Kate, the Princess of Wales, always looks picture perfect thanks to her immaculate hair, make-up and clothes
- We look back at the Princess's transformation from early 20s to 40s
- For all the latest Royal news, pictures and video click here
How does she do it?
Whether she's nipping to the shops, hopping on the Tube, or undertaking a mammoth schedule of royal engagements, the Princess of Wales always looks immaculate.
We rarely see a hair out of place - and you can forget smudged mascara, patchy foundation or chipped nails.
In fact, mother-of-three Kate looks even better now in her 40s than she did in her 20s; from her glowing complexion to her enviable bouncy brunette locks.
Of course, she has a top team whose job it is to ensure she embodies perfection.
But since entering the royal spotlight in the early 2000s, Kate’s look has changed dramatically.
She has transformed from the bronzed girl next door, running around St Andrews University and partying with Prince William, to an elegant future Queen.
Yet, her evolution also appears to be skin-deep. Kate seems to have a newfound confidence and in the last decade she has been given the most important role of her life - becoming a mother.
Looking better than ever! Kate is pictured left in 2008 at a roller disco, aged 26. Right: She is pictured aged 41 in May 2023 at King Charles's Coronation
She also keeps in fabulous shape and is known to lead a very active lifestyle in her free time.
Earlier this year, the royal revealed that she fits in a workout whenever she can.
'I do it all,' she said. 'Whenever I can squeeze in exercise I do, even jumping on the trampoline with the children before school.'
And her go-to exercise? The Plank.
A royal insider previously revealed: 'Kate is an exercise junkie. Pippa and Kate take their toned physiques extremely seriously. And mother Carole, in her 60s, is in extremely good shape.'
Whatever she's doing, it's working. Here we take a look at Kate's transformation...
Kate in her 20s
While at university, Kate embraced the carefree and youthful look, like many Sloanes of this age.
She opted for preppy clothes - and was rarely without a trusty smart blazer teamed with a tea dress or dressed down with jeans.
Her natural brunette locks were usually left loose, cascading past her shoulders in waves.
Celebrity hairstylist Dionne Smith said: 'Her hair reflected everything that she encapsulated - a youthful, fun, modern woman'.
Over the last decade the Princess of Wales has dramatically changed her appearance, ditching the matte foundation, dark undereye eyeliner, and glossy lips for a more natural, dewy look
In her 20s, Kate used heavy eyeliner on her waterline, as well as a generous portion of bronzer and blush. The Princess is pictured left in 2008 at a wedding and right in 2006
Kate would often wear minimal foundation as seen left during a skiing holiday in Switzerland in 2005 and in right in 2007
Kate was also known for heavy eyeliner on her waterline, as well as her dark eyebrows that lacked the defined arch she now has.
If she wore foundation, she opted for one that had a very light coverage and she veered towards gloss or subtle pink lipstick.
'Kate in her 20s is like all of us,' says Alice Hare, the Daily Mail's junior style editor.
'All of us go through that transition from student to working, but she went through something so much bigger - from nobody to one of the most photographed women in the world.
'I think she did it with great ease and elegance.
'There are those engagement pictures from November 2010 when she's wearing that beautiful dress by Issa and that I think is the beginning of her transition into a princess.'
Another turning point came ahead of her wedding to Prince William in 2011, when Kate was 29. She toned down her look and her eyeliner appeared less harsh.
She appeared carefree and youthful with her hairstyles more relaxed too. Pictured: Kate in Chelsea, London in 2006
Since entering the royal spotlight in the early 2000s Kate's look has completely transformed from the bronzed girl next door to an elegant Queen in waiting. Pictured: Kate in 2006
After the Princess graduated and left St Andrews University in the spotlight as Prince William's girlfriend, she began to emphasis her eyes more with dark shadow and liner. Pictured: Prince William and Kate in 2008
Surprisingly, Kate decided to do her own make-up for her wedding day after taking lessons from Arabella Preston, a make-up artist who specialises in bridal beauty.
Her skin looked moisturised and glowy, using blush only on the apples of her cheeks, combined with a light foundation, lashings of mascara and a warm brown eyeshadow on the socket.
Michelle Abels, co-founder of Mishel Makeup, previously said of Kate's look: 'The effect was stunning. Her own natural make-up was perfect for a bridal look, concentrating on the eyes and keeping things natural otherwise, with pinky brown blushers and lipsticks.'
Alice added: 'It was a really bold and interesting decision, but one that definitely paid off.
'And she knew her own face, she knew what she liked. It was a great choice and she looked fantastic.'
Kate and William on November 16, 2010 when they announced their engagement. Alice Hare believes this outfit choice showed the beginning of Kate's transition into a princess
She did her own makeup on her wedding day, stepping out at Westminster Abbey with a perfect natural makeup look that radiated bridal beauty
She opted for a natural base with rosy blush, dark eyeliner and a timeless nude pink lipstick
Kate in her 30s
Kate's wedding marked the beginning of a transformation as she entered her 30s and early years of marriage, as well as her first years as a working royal.
During her first decade in the firm, her make-up became more refined, subtle and elegant.
Make-up artist Olivia Todd said previously: 'She looks progressively more primped and preened and elegant in early marriage.
'Her skin is nourished and radiant from beautiful skincare and her cheekbones, eyes, brows are subtly enhanced with careful placement of makeup to achieve a natural, yet polished look.'
It was during these years that Kate began to adopt her signature bouncy blow-dried hair style.
The Princess also started to experiment with her hair colour, opting for honey-coloured highlights, while also trying a middle parting.
Celebrity hair stylist Dionne Smith said: 'There was never a hair out of place, but it still looked youthful thanks to its vibrancy and volume.
'It's also the time we started to see Kate move from a side parting to a middle parting, following popular trends and fashion, as well as subtle caramel highlights which warmed up her face beautifully.
'At formal events, we saw a lot of half up looks, or loosely pulled up dos which retained an air of "young woman".'
Kate was also still a big fan of heavy black eyeliner on her waterline.
During her 30s, that Kate began to adopt her signature bouncy blow-dried hair style. Pictured: Kate at the Royal British Legion poppy appeal in 2013
She also experimented with a middle parting as seen above
August 2013 was the first time Kate debuted lighter 'bronde' locks she has since shown over summers before going dark again in winter.
As she entered her 30s, her look became more refined, toning down her make up and having a more structured hair style. Pictured: Kate age 31 in 2013
The Princess switched back to a side parting in 2015 and got a fringe with some highlights
During her first decade in the firm, her make-up became more defined, subtle and elegant. Pictured: Kate at Lancaster House Chinese President Xi Jinping State Visit to London in 2015 (left) and visiting HMP Send, Surrey (right)
During the day, Kate would opt for a more natural look but rarely veered away from lashings of black eyeline. She is pictured in 2012 at the National Portrait Gallery
Stylist Alice added: 'Kate's 30s are when she's in classic Kate mode - the things that we know her really well for; those coat dresses by Catherine Walker, who is a London designer and was actually one of Princess Diana's favourite designers.
'A lot of her tour outfits are by Catherine Walker and Alexander McQueen. She wore a lot of both of those designers on her tour to Canada in 2016, as well as Jenny Packham.
'Lots of coat dresses, lots of skirt suits, the classic sort of look we think of when we think of Kate.'
Kate in her 40s
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Fast forward to the 2020s, Kate’s look has continued to evolve into a dazzling mother-of-three, becoming more regal in stature and style.
'She is looking her best in her 40s and looking better than she ever has,' says Alice.
'So far in her 40s, she has gone for a slightly more fashion forward take on things. Of course she still loves the odd high street piece. She wore some £17.99 earrings from Zara to the BAFTAs in February.
'But generally, her outfits in her 40s have been by some really high end designers that have a step above those that she was wearing in her 30s.
'There is still a lot of McQueen and Alessandra Rich, who has become one of her absolute favourite designers and she's worn her for lots of important moments in the past couple of years.
'Kate in her 40s is a bit more high fashion, which I am loving.'
The Princess has also abandoned the bronzed look favoured in her early 20s, and her hair has become more structured than in years gone by when she would just let it hang loose around her shoulders.
She has ditched her dark circles of eyeliner, opting for a flick on the upper eyelid instead.
Laura Kay, Make Up Expert and Founder of Laura Kay London previously told FEMAIL: 'Kate was known for wearing heavy black eye liner which she would apply all around the inner of her lower eye lid.
'This was trendy in the early noughties but when applying her own make up Kate still preferred this make up look well into her thirties.
'Kate has always look glamorous, but you can see over the past few years she has had somewhat of a make up revolution and is looking more on trend than ever.'
Kate, Princess of Wales, opted for a green outfit for June's Trooping the Colour
The Princess of Wales appeared in high spirits as she watched the Garter Day service in Windsor
Kate swept her hair into a bun atop which she wore a floral diamond headpiece by Alexander McQueen for the King's Coronation
She has abandoned her dark circles of eyeliner, opting for a flick on the upper eyelid instead
Catherine, Princess of Wales departs after attending the reopening of the National Portrait Gallery on June 20, 2023 in London
Laura continued: 'Whether day or evening Kate now prefers deep smokey brown and bronze hues, and her whole eye make up is blended for a softer yet more striking effect.
'This is very cleverly done because even though her make up may appear more dramatic/heavy when being applied, it appears more subtle and natural in the flesh and on camera.
'Her brows have seen the biggest transformation, they are full and bushy compared to her younger brow style when they were thinner and tightly pencilled.
'The defined brows suit her face structure and bring out her best features.
'She is also not afraid to try trends by embracing new techniques that compliment her appearance.
'She now also mixes up lip colours and her complexion is more dewy than in her earlier years as a Royal when she opted for a more matte foundation look. She has recently become a fan of bronzer and a cream highlighter to contour her face perfectly.'
She added: 'Her make up looks more youthful now and she looks even younger than she did in her 20s. She is definitely talking to the experts and I think we will see lots of regal glamour from Kate as she embraces her 40s.'
She also appears to have newfound confidence when out meeting members of the public
Kate glows during a visit to Wales in 2023, with a pop of peach blush and rosy coloured lipstick
Aside from her physical appearance, there is also a new sense of confidence within the Princess. While public speaking once filled her with dread, leaving her to occasionally stumble over her words, she now has a renewed sense of confidence.
She has updated her wardrobe to reflect her aim as a modern working royal. We now frequently see her wearing trouser suits, elegant Catherine Walker coats and bold designer blouses.
She has swapped her clutch bags for a collection of 'top handle' bags in all shapes and sizes.
During the King's Coronation in May she looked every inch a princess in her stunning tiara.
And it saw the return of a defined smokey eye with lashings of chocolate brown eyeshadow.
'All eyes were on this woman who has evolved into a staggering beauty with world class style and who has honed her taste over the years into something exquisite,' Plum Sykes wrote in the Mail on Sunday.
''Royal' dressing can sometimes lead to a stiff, bourgeois look. Kate has elegantly avoided this and next to her European peers, she stands out as a lesson in grown-up glamour.'
Kate pictured on the Tube on May 4, as she headed to a pub in Soho with William
The Duchess showed off a lighter 'bronde' hairstyle after returning from lockdown in 2020 - with a bouncy blow dry and natural look
There are many reasons for the transformation, including her evolving make-up look, embracing a more chic style, as well as a growing confidence, most likely down to having a decade of being a working royal under her belt. Pictured: Kate in 2022 at the Commonwealth Games
Even dressed down, the Princess manages to look polished (seen here in Slough trying archery after the King's Coronation)
It's all about the blush! Kate looks healthy and sunkissed during a visit to the Bahamas in 2022
She still loves eyeliner and gloss on her lips rather than matte lipstick
The Princess of Wales pictured in Birmingham in 2023
A natural beauty - even in a cream jumper she looks fabulous
She favours a bouncy blowdry for volume
Even abseiling in Wales, the Princess's make-up looked perfect
Kate in March 2023 during the St Patrick's Day Parade
And in Aberfan, chatting and giggling with crowds lined up to see her
Kate has had a stunning transformation. There are many reasons for this, including her evolving make-up look, embracing a more chic style, as well as a growing confidence, most likely down to having a decade of being a working royal under her belt
The elegant Princess of Wales looked reflective as she gazed out of the window during the Queen's funeral
There is also a new sense of confidence within the Princess. While public speaking once filled her with dread, leaving her to occasionally stumble over her words, she now has a renewed sense of confidence. Pictured: Kate attending the Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Prince Philip
The Princess of Wales during the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in November 2022
