Kate Middleton Shows Off Bangs in Bold Hair Transformation - See Her New Look

Kate Middleton made a trendy statement with her latest hairstyle, showing off face-framing curtain bangs during a recent engagement. The 41-year-old Princess of Wales stepped out on Wednesday to join a Portage Session for her Shaping Us campaign on early childhood, supporting children with disabilities and special education needs and their families. 

In photos from her outing in Sittingbourne, England, the fashionable royal wore her hair pinned back in an elegant chignon while keeping her bangs loose -- marking a departure from her usual lengthy waves. She wore a sophisticated ensemble for the occasion, pairing a nude crew neck shirt and black trousers with a red tweed blazer and black ballet flats. 

Kate also shared a video from her enriching day on Instagram. 

"A fun-filled sensory session in Sittingbourne meeting incredible portage staff and the families they support," she captioned her post. "A truly wholesome afternoon!"

"The campaign is fundamentally about shining a spotlight on the critical importance of early childhood and how it shapes the adults we become," she previously said of her Shaping Us initiative at the time of its launch. "This is why it is essential, to not only understand the unique importance of our earliest years but to know what we can all do to help raise future generations of happy, healthy adults."

The public engagement comes weeks after Kate was joined by Prince William and Princess Ann for a fun, lively conversation on an episode of former rugby star Mike Tindall's podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby.

Tindall is married to Princess Anne's daughter, Zara, making Anne his mother-in-law and William his cousin. This familiarity brought an unexpected level of candor to their chat, with some interesting revelations.

While asking Kate about her athletic spirit, Mike joked, "I'm not going to say you're uber competitive... but..."

"I'm not competitive at all," Kate replied with a wry, coy tone, to which Mike shot back, "I’ve seen her play beer pong!"

That being said, Kate admitted that she and her husband can, from time to time, dig their heels in when it comes to going head-to-head at sports.

"I don’t think we’ve managed to finish a game of tennis, the two of us," Kate said. "It becomes a mental challenge between the two of us."

Also this month, the Prince of Wales visited New York City solo for the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit and picked up some delightfully kitschy gifts for the couple's children in the process. Will and Kate are parents to 10-year-old Prince George, 8-year-old Princess Charlotte, and 5-year-old Prince Louis. 

Middleton did not join her husband for the brief trip. 

"This is a fleeting visit, and the couple tend not to travel abroad together unless they have to, because, of course, they're juggling childcare and schooling for three children," royal expert Katie Nicholl told ET at the time.

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