She styled her recently lightened blonde hair into an elegant but practical look for the event, designed to provide her an introductory tour of the base and its operations within the RAF. Arriving by helicopter and then transported by Range Rover, Kate learned about the Royal Air Force’s efforts on recent operations, including support for NATO in Poland, and took an opportunity to explore inside a Typhoon jet. Her husband Prince William did not accompany her on this occasion, though he has previously taken to the skies at the RAF base.

Kate was named Royal Honorary Air Commodore at RAF bases in 2023 when King Charles restructured the royal family’s military roles. She also took on the role of Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm. This title was earlier held by her husband, who fulfilled it at the Lincolnshire base for 15 years starting from 2008, while the Fleet duty was earlier held by Prince Andrew before it was revoked due to his association with the US civil lawsuit involving Virginia Giuffre.

The Princess has a familial connection to the RAF; her paternal grandfather served as a fighter pilot during World War II and flew alongside the late Duke of Edinburgh in the 1960s. Captain Peter Middleton, who was the Duke’s co-pilot on South American flights during a royal tour, passed away at 90 just days before Kate and Prince William announced their engagement in 2010. Unseen photos of her grandfather with the Duke emerged in 2019. As she continued her solo tour later in the day, Kate met Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) personnel involved in the RAF’s round-the-clock mission to secure airspace.

This entails that if airspace controllers notice a potential threat or unknown aircraft, they trigger an alert to prepare Typhoons for interception. During her visit, Kate viewed one of these aircraft, then proceeded to the Typhoon Future Synthetic Training facility, a newly established site offering integrated training environments for pilots. The Lincolnshire base houses two frontline squadrons and serves as the training ground for Typhoon pilots. Ultimately, the royal mother of three stopped by a community area called ‘The Lounge’ to meet members of the welfare team and personnel.

As she left, she interacted with families eager to glimpse the royal. The previous week, the Princess of Wales visited Southport. Again, she exuded elegance with her ‘bronde’ hair. Alongside William, she privately visited grieving parents affected by the tragic stabbing of Elsie Dot Stancombe, eventually appearing at her former school. Axel Rudakubana, 19, assaulted a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on June 29, 2024, also killing Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, and injuring eight other children. He received a life sentence in January with a minimum term of 52 years.

The royal couple made an emotional return to the city to offer their ongoing support for families affected by the tragic murders, after first visiting last year. The Princess was sophisticated as ever for the occasion, accentuating her smart suit and coat with golden locks that showed off a freshly lightened glow in the sun. Kate first debuted her blonder hair last month, and has since been showered with compliments for the honey-tone of her new look. Experts have also remarked on the versatility of the style, as well as the fresh new aesthetic it brings.

Lauren Paglionico , master colourist and founder of LRN Beauty in New York City, said autumn is always ‘the perfect time’ to show off a new hair colour, especially if you’re in the public eye. ‘There’s something about the seasonal shift that makes it feel like a natural moment for change,’ she told the Daily Mail. ‘For some of these women, it’s possible they have something exciting on the horizon. ‘As for Kate, she’s been through a lot and I feel this is her way of reintroducing herself on her own terms.’ Although Lauren admitted that typically, people like to dye their hair darker for the Autumn, she’s definitely been seeing ‘a shift’ this season.

Inside, William and Kate spoke to teachers about how the school was affected by the tragedy and the support it has provided to pupils, staff and the local community. They also met privately with Elsie’s parents Jenni and David in the headteacher’s office. Along with Alice’s father Sergio Aguiar, David ran the London Marathon in April in memory of their daughters and the Prince and Princess donated to their fundraising efforts. The princess told pupils: ‘I’m very impressed with all of you and all the hard work you’re doing. What a fantastic thing to learn to raise money to help other people. Keep up your hard work.’

Over the weekend, Kate was seen wearing a cowboy hat as she wished England’s Red Roses good luck in their match against Canada in the Women’s Rugby World Cup . She is patron of the Rugby Football Union, a role she took over from Prince Harry in 2020 when he stepped down as a working royal and moved to the US with Meghan Markle . Taking to the social media platform she shares with her husband Prince William , 43, Kate wrote: ‘Good luck England! Wishing the very best of luck to the @redrosesrugby in their Women’s Rugby World Cup Final at Twickenham today. We’re so proud of you! C.’ Alongside the caption, Kate posted a photo of herself posing with players Megan Jones, Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach.