Kate Middleton sports £2 earrings and brand new hair for first day at work since turning 40

Kate Middleton stepped out with Prince William for her first royal engagement of the year, attending the Foundling Museum in London. 

• Kate Middleton wore a pair of gorgeous high-street earrings priced at just £2 and even debuted a new hairdo. 
• The outing was the Duke and Duchess’ first together in 2022, with Kate appearing in public for the first time after turning 40 at the start of January. 
• This royal news comes after it was revealed that Kate and William could be set to move to Windsor to be closer to the Queen, during what is expected to be a tough year for Her Majesty. 

Looking elegant in a smart, teal coat from Jigsaw along with a pair of navy trousers, a coordinating roll-neck jumper and pair of classic navy court heels, Kate tied the look together with a pair of bargain earrings from the high street.

When it comes to jewelry, Kate is known to be owner of some of the Royal Family's most priceless pieces—but she's certainly not opposed to affordable accessories.

For the day out at the Foundling Museum, chatting to care workers about pandemic hardships and hearing how the organisation is continuing to help young people, Kate opted for a pair of drop earrings from high-street brand Accessorize. 

Mini Hammered Doorknocker Hoop Earrings, Now £2.10 | Accessorize

Kate Middleton's £2 earrings from Accessorize are described as the “perfect pairing to give your daytime look some chic appeal”. We think it's fair to say that Kate has demonstrated that flawlessly. 

View Deal

Kate's Mini Hammered Doorknocker Hoop Earrings have been price-slashed in the Accessorize sale, with the reduction taking them down from an already affordable £7 to a mere £2.10.

Unsurprisingly, they're not in stock right now, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that they'll come back in.

But there are plenty more pretty Accessorize pieces to be snapped up, and with the retailer being Middleton-approved, we can hardly resist. 

Reconnected Crinkle Short Drop Earrings, Now £3 | Accessorize

The beautiful Reconnected Crinkle Short Drop Earrings from Accessorize have been reduced along with Kate's, priced at £3 instead of £10 now. 

View Deal

Reconnected Chunky Tube Hoops Gold, Now £3 | Accessorize

The Reconnected Chunky Tube Hoops Gold are a simple statement earring in classic gold, ideal for pairing with a day or night look. 

View Deal

The Duchess also debuted a darker, shorter hair style for the day at work, appearing to have undergone yet another subtle hair transformation during her time off.

Her locks look a much richer brunette compared to when we last saw her before Christmas and the addition of face-framing layers is providing the future Queen Consort with the ultimate fresh look for January.

It also seems that Kate has ditched the tight curled look she was partial to last year, opting for her famously bouncy blow out again.

Towards the end of 2021, Kate consistently wore her hair in what looked to be curls styled with a curling iron, rather than her usual bounce provided by a blow dry. 

The mother-of-three has also proved that she never fails at making an up-do look epic, either.

Stepping out for the James Bond No Time To Die premiere in September last year, Kate looked a vision of elegance in a gold, embellished Jenny Packham dress with her hair put up with plenty of volume.

After turning 40 on January 9, it seems that Kate has decided to go back to her favorite look, swapping the curls for her iconic, expertly styled blow dry for her debut appearance in 2022, ahead of what could be a tough year for the royal family. 

Royal experts have claimed that the future of the monarchy is in the hands of the Duchess of Cambridge, in light of the Queen's decision to strip Prince Andrew of his HRH title. 

Body language expert Darren Stanton analyzed Kate and William's public appearance today, confirming that the Duchess seems to be taking a strong lead, while putting on a united front with her husband, in the midst of royal controversy. 

“On arrival at the Foundling Museum, it’s interesting to see that Kate exited the vehicle on her own and strode forward towards those waiting while followed closely behind by Prince William,” Darren told Betfair.

“She didn’t look back to see where William was, denoting her sure-fire confidence and the confidence she and William have in each other’s ability.

"William is quite happy to let Kate take centre stage and I think small, subtle gestures like this reveal how we’re now seeing a much stronger version of Kate as an established working member of the senior royal family.

 “This not only demonstrates that she is very much her own person and has a sense of independence within her relationship with William, but it shows how important she perceives her role within the monarchy.”