Catherine, Princess of Wales has unveiled a noticeably lighter hair colour as she joined Prince William and their children at a Sunday service near Balmoral

Their children - Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 - were seated in the back, with Charlotte smiling as the family made their way to the service.

Catherine's hair appeared several shades lighter than her usual brunette, drawing attention as the family arrived at the parish church close to Balmoral Castle.

The service was also attended by King Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 78, who arrived separately, as well as Princess Anne, 75.

The outing comes against a backdrop of ongoing tensions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have been absent from royal gatherings since stepping back as working royals in 2020.

It has been three years since William and Catherine were last pictured publicly alongside Harry, 40, and Meghan, 44.

That occasion came outside Windsor Castle in September 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, when the couples viewed tributes together.

At the time, the appearance was described as an olive branch extended by William.

Since then, relations have deteriorated further.

Former royal editor Duncan Larcombe told OK! magazine: "There's no doubt the feud between them is worse than ever, so much has happened and there has been so much betrayal and fury. The longer they don't speak, the deeper the feud will get."

He also said: "Their Oprah Winfrey interview was the first big blow, so to speak, because it showed that Harry and Meghan were prepared to speak about the royals, particularly Charles and William, in a way one would never expect from another family member.

"Then Harry's book, Spare, was incredibly damaging and made William furious because of the betrayal of family secrets. So now Harry and Meghan have carved out their own existence in California, but they're doing it for cash and to the highest bidder.

"Meanwhile, all that time in those same three years, William and Kate have been busy with duty, and haven't cashed in on their status."