The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge step out in Sandringham for church service

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This is going to sound weird, but has anyone else noticed how flat the Duchess of Cambridge’s hair has been in the past year? Flat is a relative term in this case – her hair is still bouncy and wavy, and she still has nice hair. But my theory is that Kate has finally given up the wiglets, extensions and “falls” to make her hair look fuller. It’s a good transition for her, honestly. Anyway, I was reminded of that as I looked through these new photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Sandringham today. William and Kate joined the Queen at St. Mary Magdalene Church. They greeted well-wishers and royal fans as they walked the short distance to the church.

Kate smartly repeated a look for this trip – this is a Catherine Walker coat she’s had in her closet for at least a year. She wore this coat for the “arrival” photos in Norway in February 2018. It’s a good coat – I like how unfussy the design is, and I enjoy the lack of visible buttons. I don’t know if the headpiece/fascinator is new, but it’s cute. She tends to keep it very simple and classic when she knows she’s going to be around the Queen.

Meanwhile, Kate’s 37th birthday is coming up this week. She turns 37 on the 9th. Unfortunately for Kate, she won’t be spending her birthday with Prince William. After some people were like “hey, shouldn’t William be working more?” when the 2018-royal-event numbers came out, William quickly added an event to his schedule for the 9th – he’ll be doing a meeting and a “tea party” at the Royal London Hospital. I doubt Kate minds that much – while she always spends her birthday doing “private” stuff, we tend to hear about how she spent her birthdays with her mom and sister. I bet Pippa and Carole will make a point of coming back from St. Bart’s in time for Kate’s b-day.

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56 Responses to “The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge step out in Sandringham for church service”

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  1. LW says:

    Maybe it does have to do with lack of extensions, but for me (and a lot of women) in the months after having a baby I lose a lot of hair and it got really flat looking. I ended up getting it bobbed off about 6 months after both of my kids because of it, but who knows!

    • Chloe says:

      Same and I bet you are completely right. I have pretty thick hair, similar to how Kate’s usually looks, and I lost so much hair postpartum that it looks much thinner right now as it’s growing back in. I also got a bob when it started falling out in clumps and am now trying to transition the little baby hairs that are growing in (they’re like 2-3 inches long lol) into some layers.

      • MrsClincy says:

        I lost alot of hair after my last child and yea right now I’m in the what to do with the 2 inch new growth.

    • Relli80 says:

      Yes and her skin also appears to be taking a hit in the hormone fluctuation that happens after baby.

    • aang says:

      Yes! My hair was amazing during pregnancy and then thinned for a while after.

    • minx says:

      Not that she’s consulting me 😂, but I would like to see her get about 5-6 inches cut off for a more sophisticated look.

    • MrsBeast says:

      Exactly. It is more to do with hormonal changes, getting older, etc. Her hair looks great and if she wants to wear extensions she should go ahead and do what makes her feel good. She doesn’t need them though. She seems to be on some sort of retro headpiece kick right now.

    • L84Tea says:

      I was just coming here to say this. I have had ridiculously thick hair my whole life, but ever since having my two sons, my hair is just not what it once was. It’s still thick, but it’s definitely lost a lot of its oomph.

  2. Josie says:

    Most spouses work on each other’s birthdays, and they still celebrate together, right?

    • Other Renee says:

      My ex and current husbands always took/take a vacation day on my birthday because it’s very special to me and I always appreciated the effort.

      • icantbelieveihadtomakeanothernsne says:

        Must be nice 🙄

      • Antonym says:

        @other Renee – we try to take each other’s birthday off when we can. It doesn’t always happen, but it’s a nice excuse to spend a lazy day off together.

    • jj says:

      We always work on our birthdays but would go out to eat to celebrate until we had children and then celebrated at home. I think most people go to work on their birthdays if it is a workday.

    • DrM says:

      Your ex and current husband’s take a day off on your birthday? ? I can see someone taking their personal birthday off work but your spouse?

      • Amelie says:

        Yeah that’s weird. I would love to take off on my birthday every year but it probably won’t be possible this year. I will either have to work or travel for work. Maybe next year.

  3. Elisabeth says:

    William and Kate must be hosting a house party – I think they do that often in the week around Kate’s birthday. The other people in these pictures with them are their country friends. I see at least three godparents in the bunch.

  4. Emily says:

    These two have never been churchy. Is this a pap walk and if so why?

    • Elisabeth says:

      They’ve attended this service with The Queen (it’s the service of the Epiphany) each year since 2016. Their friends and sometimes the Middleton’s attend with them, as Kate’s birthday always falls right after Epiphany and it’s assumed they have a house party for her.

      In as much as anything the royals do is a pap walk, it’s a pap walk, but they’ve been doing it for 4 years in a row so their attendance doesn’t have any special, secret meeting. I think The Queen wants them there. It’s an important religious holiday and William will be the head of the church one day. To me, it’s more interesting that Charles *isn’t* there.

      • Nic919 says:

        Camilla has been sick with a cold so that’s probably why. He did do a few engagements already but he isn’t based in Sandringham so he probably wants to be with Camilla.

      • Carolind says:

        Charles is probably in Scotland. He generally goes there for the New Year and he certainly had an engagement on one of the Scottish islands on New Year’s Day.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Their church appearances are always pap walks for PR. Just like the Middletons never attended church until the year of W&K’s engagement, so they could get the pap photos.

  5. jan90067 says:

    This is a nice surprise. I thought they were back in London already; I read that George and Charlotte go back to school this week. I guess they could’ve gone ahead for a day with Nanny Maria, with parents to follow today, after church/lunch w/TQ. Or do British schools start term mid-week?

  6. Elisa says:

    I love the cut and the color of her coat. The headpiece looks kind of weird?

  7. Emma says:

    That teal coat is so boring. You’re royal, Kate – bring out the sparkly brooches, (fake) fur and killer boots! When the 92 year old Queen wears more exciting stuff, it’s time to up the game. Mary of Denmark always nails it, and she and Kate have similar coloring and shapes. Also, I prefer Kate’s hair shorter. She looks so much younger and fresher with a shoulder length cut.

    • Cherie says:

      Church with TQ is totally when she should bring out the jewels and fashion statements.
      Her hair does look flat though.

      • Emma says:

        I’m not saying she should wear a tiara to church, but she could easily jazz things up. Head-to-toe teal, coat dress and the most boring pumps known to man is just so underwhelming. It’s a snoozefest every time she steps out.

  8. Digital Unicorn says:

    Good look for her but I personally hate those headband hats that she’s been trying to make a thing as they often ruin a good look.

    As for her hair, my hair used to be thick and has gotten thinner over the years – my hairdresser layers my hair to give it body and shape. All she needs to do is add layers to the hair or add more if she has any. She can afford to get a top hairdresser so she should make the most of it.

    • Nic919 says:

      She needs to stop trying to make the headband thing happen. It flattens her hair and just makes her look like a 50 year old lady. It’s not a youthful style at all.

      • Jo says:

        Nic, I agree — this is not a good look for her. This headband flattens her hair and somehow ages her. She’s trying to make this look happen again (hello 80s and early 90s) but it doesn’t work very well for her.

    • Becks1 says:

      Yes, I like this coat – streamlined, pretty color on her – I much prefer this to the Catherine Walker ones with the buttons she wore in November and on Christmas. Her hair does look a little flat but I think that’s a matter of the headpiece, post partum, and just life. She has good hair but not everyone has perfect hair all the time. I’ve always thought that if someone out there REALLY cared, they could probably track when she washes her hair haha – because she does a pattern of super pretty bouncy hair (probably a fresh blow out), pulled partially back, and then pulled all the way back. It’s obvious when she does a few engagements in a row. So here she probably got her big blowout a few days ago.

      Apparently that someone who really cares is me…..

      but anyway, I think she looks nice overall here but I do not like those headbands. She is trying to make them happen and it just is not a good look for her.

  9. Gigi La Moore says:

    So severe looking and dowdy.

  10. suharik26 says:

    She lost hair post-pregnancy. It takes over 2 years for all the re-growth. That’s why she has a big head band, texture on the bottom is very different. I cut it all very short as it just came out in clumps. Nice coat.

  11. Lulu says:

    Not saying that she didn’t previously use extensions, but I’ve got a decent amount of hair that I can make look triple its natural volume by an incredibly time-consuming process involving rollers, teasing, thickening lotion, dry shampoo, etc. It looks lovely, but holy hell is it tiring to keep up. I’ve often thought that Kate was using some of the same methods, especially when some people were using a before/after picture to prove that she was using extensions – because I’ve had similar ones where my hair looked very flat and thin one day and all big voluminous curls the next.

    I say this because Kate seems to have become far more relaxed and comfortable with herself in recent years, especially after having Louis. It may well be then that she’s less concerned about going through such a rigorous upkeep (because even if she was using extensions, that’s several hours in a hairdressers each time, every once a month) and so her hair looks flatter now in regular pictures than in her early Duchess days where she was doubtlessly anxious to keep up with her image of having perfect hair. I know that she’s got servants and whatnot at her beck and call, but if I got tired of doing my hair like that every day in my early twenties, I’d imagine a mother of three probably gets fed up with it as well, hence her more relaxed and earthy looks recently.

  12. tw says:

    I’ve been meaning to ask this for a long time. What does she wear under all of these coat dresses? Does the coat dress stay on in church? Why do we never see her without a coat? I mean, today’s coat isn’t the best example but you know the coat dresses I’m talking about. What? How? Why?
    So many questions.

    • BearcatLawyer says:

      She typically wears silk dresses, likely so she can comfortably keep her coat on during engagements and not sweat to death. At this time of year in the U.K. though, she would be hard pressed to go most anywhere without a coat of some kind.

    • Julia says:

      I wondered this, too, but only because I saw that pearl-clutching DM article about the cost of Meghan’s Christmas outfit. The article made it sound like Meghan’s outfit cost, like, ten times what Kate’s did. So I looked up the cost of Kate’s outfit (look, it was a slow day), and the DM only listed the cost of the *visible* items–which, at least originally, seemed to cost more than Meghan’s?–but I was a little surprised they never mentioned what was under Kate’s coat, because I assume she’s not wearing a pair of Spanx and one of William’s old t-shirts under there. If they’re going to get all worked up about the cost of these women’s clothes, you’d think they’d include the cost of the ENTIRE outfit….

  13. Bucketbot says:

    Always looking for the camera seems like.

  14. RoyalBlue says:

    She wore a polka dot dress underneath.

  15. Eleonor says:

    I love her coat, the colour, the high collar, I’d totally wear it!

  16. knowitall says:

    Wow, these pictures make me so jealous, I wish I could walk from my house to a lovely English country church. They really do have it good.

  17. Eyfalia says:

    I don’t believe this coat is a repeat. It fits her very well on both occassions, pregnant and very slim. Two coats, different sizes.

    https://www.celebitchy.com/565091/duchess_kate_wore_catherine_walker_seraphine_for_the_arrival_in_norway/

  18. Liz version 700 says:

    The coat is beautiful. I can’t with the headbands. Is she trying to subtly remind us she will be the queen with her crown? Minus the headband she looks very nice. I like that she seems to be more relaxed in recent photos.

  19. vava says:

    maybe she had this coat tailored to wear again after her pregnancy. If so, then good for her. I don’t mind the color, the style is OK. BUT THIS HEADGEAR! Ditch it!

    Cut the hair.

    Kate’s face looks so lumpy. What is going on there? Now on to William – LOL……….he has certainly lost his looks. Can’t see that his personality is all that appealing either, Kate obviously has a different taste in men than I do. Sorta like that they have to do these pap strolls………..I would hate that, but they have to do them. Karma is alive, people…..

  20. Red Weather Tiger says:

    She looks like Hester Prynne without the A.

  21. liriel says:

    She looks very Kate and appropriate. Future queen consort and her hair is still fine and I do love it’s not so OTT and “perfect”. natural and classy.

  22. Flying fish says:

    The headband is fug.

  23. Autume says:

    The head piece is awful! Whomever she gets her advice from isn’t working!

    Just like hair nets are a no no …cut the hair and get a better hairstyle and stop with the ringlets!! It isn’t because she can’t afford it!

    The Queen has way better taste!