Princess Anne shows off new hair during special occasion

Princess Anne surprised royal watchers at the weekend when her hair looked remarkably darker for her attendance at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at London's Royal Albert Hall.

The Princess Royal is known for her salt and pepper-hued hair, which she always sweeps up into an elegant chignon and while her signature style was still in place, the 74-year-old's hair looked remarkably darker, suggesting she'd made a change to her colour.

While we didn't notice her new look until the weekend, it transpires the royal likely visited her stylist earlier last week, as photos taken on 5 November show her darker hair looking freshly styled.

The Princess debuted her new look at a show of equine sculptures hosted by Racing Welfare in London.

A keen fan of horses, despite suffering an injury at the hooves of one this spring, Princess Anne was likely delighted to attend the soiree, which saw her surrounded by sculptures of her favourite animal.

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Princess Anne appeared animated at the event, laughing with fellow attendees and studying the works of art.

For the special evening, Princess Anne donned a pleated green dress, topped with a smart black blazer.

She wore gloves too, a decision the royal often makes when attending events where she will be meeting and shaking hands with lots of different people.

Princess Anne completed her look with three strings of pearls and a pair of pearl drop earrings which contrasted beautifully with her new darker hair.

SEE: Royals at 40: King Charles, Princess Anne, late Queen and more in 9 archive photos

Princess Anne's week in fashion

The Princess Royal looked stylish in green, but we have to say, we preferred the fashion-forward outfit she wore on Tuesday during a visit to Scotland.

King Charles' sister wore a smart skirt and blazer ensemble in burgundy, widely referred to as the colour of the season. When Princess Anne is wearing the fashionista's shade of choice, you know it's here to stay!

The royal went for a more outlandish look on Monday night, switching her monochromatic looks for a polka dot navy dress with green spots. The dress featured a floral design – quite the departure from her usual simple looks.

With many upcoming events in her diary, we look forward to seeing Princess Anne's next outfit choice!