The Princess of Wales is known for her enviable long, flowing brunette hair but in a throwback snap she looks almost unrecognisable thanks to her golden sun-kissed locks in a snap with her sister Pippa

The Princess of Wales may be known for her stylish wardrobe, but there is one other thing she possesses that is the envy of women everywhere – her hair.

Except for the odd experiment with a fringe or some light touch highlights, Kate has more or less stuck to a winning formula of a glossy brown hair colour, either sleekly blow-dried or arranged in an elaborate updo ever since becoming a royal on marrying Prince William over 13 years ago. But an unearthed snap of Kate taken many years ago shows her barely unrecognisable as instead of her trademark brunette hair, she actually has bright blonde locks.

Kate with bright blonde hair in a snap with her sister Pippa and dad Michael ( Image: Clarence House via GettyImages)

The throwback picture shows Kate as a youngster with her dad Michael and sister Pippa visiting ancient ruins in Jerash in Jordan. The Middleton family lived in Jordan for three years when Kate and Pippa were young girls. It came when her dad Michael was relocated there while working for British Airways – and Kate and sister Pippa attended a nursery there.

So it’s likely that given her tender age in the snap and the sun-kissed weather in Jordan, it saw her hair turn lighter before it went darker as she got older.

The unearthed snap has resurfaced as Kate is reportedly set to join the rest of the Royal Family for their annual summer break in Balmoral this month. It is said that Kate, who has been undergoing cancer treatment, will make the journey to the Scottish Highlands in what would be her longest trip away from her Windsor home since her diagnosis earlier this year.

Since the shock announcement she had received a cancer diagnosis back in March, the 42-year-old has mainly split her time between Adelaide Cottage in Windsor and Amner Hall in Norfolk. She has made just two public appearances – at Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon, with these just a short drive from her Windsor home.

Kate usually keeps to her trademark brunette hair colour (: Getty Images)

According to the Mail On Sunday, some insiders had feared that given her health situation, she might not have been able to travel to Balmoral. However, the publication adds that sources have confirmed she will go to Scotland for the royals’ annual summer trip.

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Back in June, Kate released a highly personal message about her preventative chemotherapy treatment ahead of her first appearance back at Trooping the Colour. In it, she candidly admitted that her treatment was continuing for a few more months and said she was “not out of the woods yet” and had “good days and bad days.

However, it seems that two royals who won’t be joining King Charles, and the rest of the Firm at Balmoral this summer are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. It has been claimed that the Sussexes have not been invited to join the rest of the Royal Family on their annual summer break.

PEOPLE magazine reports that they have not been invited – and that they have been snubbed for the past few years. As a youngster, Harry would spend most of his summers in the Scottish Highlands, although it is not believed that Meghan has ever visited Balmoral Castle since she married her husband. It comes after a source claimed that Harry and Charles are no longer speaking with one long-running issue seeing their estrangement deepen.

Sources close to the Sussexes have now claimed that Harry’s calls to his dad are going unanswered as Harry tries to discuss his security arrangements with his father. The Duke has been embroiled in a long-running battle over his security when he comes to the UK after he automatically lost the right to his police protection when he stepped down as a working royal.