Kate's 'kob' steals the show: Duchess of Cambridge shows off her glossy hairstyle at the Natural History Museum as Sir David Attenborough unveils its new blue whale skeleton

Duchess of Cambridge flaunted her glossy 'kob' hairstyle which is noticeably shorter than her earlier looks
Kate, 35, unveiled the Natural History Museum's latest blue whale attraction during a gala reception
She is a patron of the museum and joined famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough at tonight's event
The 25-metre long skeleton suspended from the ceiling in the revamped Hintze Hall by the main entrance
Duchess joined the Queen last night at a glittering state banquet in honour of the King and Queen of Spain

By Bianca London for MailOnline and Harvey Day For Mailonline

Published: 20:49 BST, 13 July 2017 | Updated: 11:06 BST, 14 July 2017

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The Duchess of Cambridge flaunted her bold shorter 'kob' hairstyle this evening at the Natural History Museum as she joined Sir David Attenborough to unveil the new blue whale skeleton.

Kate, 35, wore a pale blue dress for the glittering gala and although she was seen without any extravagant jewellery or a tiara she still managed to steal the show.

The Duchess showed off her fresh glossy new hairstyle which is noticeably shorter than her earlier looks.

The Duchess of Cambridge flaunted her bold shorter 'kob' hairstyle this evening at the Natural History Museum as she joined Sir David Attenborough to unveil the new blue whale skeleton

Kate, 35, wore a pale blue dress for the glittering gala and although she was seen without any extravagant jewellery or a tiara she still managed to steal the show

Kate sparkled as she chatted with Sir David Attenborough and Sir Michael Dixon to unveil the new blue whale at the Natural History Museum

The skeleton now on display in Hintze Hall is from a whale that became stranded in 1891 in Wexford Harbour, Ireland, 10 years after the Museum opened in South Kensington

The Duchess showed off her fresh hairstyle which is noticeably shorter than her earlier looks

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The Duchess Of Cambridge oozed high-octane glamour at last night's State Banquet in a pink Marchesa dress and sparkling tiara. However stepping out to an event at the Natural History Museum tonight, it was back to her usual chic style.

The royal donned a powder blue dress by Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, featuring a fitted short sleeve bodice and full midi skirt which we've not spotted her wear before. A new dress and a new hairstyle for Kate tonight it seems!

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The Duchess, who is a patron of the museum, and the famous naturalist are among the first to see the 25-metre long skeleton suspended from the ceiling in the revamped Hintze Hall

The Duchess of Cambridge first unveiled her new-look shorter hair at Wimbledon earlier this month

She also opted for a youthful open-toed high-heeled shoe with a purple clutch purse.

WHAT IS THE 'KOB'?

Kate first unveiled her new-look shorter hair at Wimbledon earlier this month.

She was seen sporting a shoulder-length cut featuring soft, loose curls.

The hair created a real buzz and was quickly dubbed the 'kob'.

Kate's gown is a £637 stretch-crepe Preen dress by designer Thornton Bregazzi. She wore £550 scalloped suede sandals by Prada.

The Duchess first unveiled her new-look shorter hair at Wimbledon earlier this month.

The new hairstyle, around six inches off the overall length, created a real buzz and was soon dubbed the 'kob'.

The Duchess, who is a patron of the museum, and the famous naturalist are among the first to see the 25-metre long skeleton suspended from the ceiling in the revamped Hintze Hall.

The whale skeleton has replaced Dippy the Diplodocus, which first went on display there in 1979. When the museum announced it was dismantling the dinosaur display, 14,000 people signed a petition to stop the move.

The Duchess first unveiled her new-look shorter hair at Wimbledon earlier this month (pictured)

The new hairstyle, around six inches off the overall length, created a real buzz and was soon dubbed the 'kob'

Kate's gown is a £637 stretch-crepe Preen dress by designer Thornton Bregazzi. She wore £550 scalloped suede sandals by Prada

The whale skeleton has replaced Dippy the Diplodocus, which first went on display there in 1979

When the museum announced it was dismantling the dinosaur display, 14,000 people signed a petition to stop the move

The Duchess will also tour Hintze Hall’s 10 other new displays chosen from the museum’s collection of more than 80 million specimens

Kate, 35, wore a pale blue dress for tonight's event and although she was seen without any extravagant jewellery or a tiara she still managed to steal the show

Hintze Hall will reopen to the public on Friday following six months of refurbishment, and its displays will include a dinosaur fossil - an 120 million-year-old Mantellisaurus, found on the Isle of Wight in 1917

She also opted for an open-toed purple high-heeled shoe with a matching clutch purse. Kate's gown is a £637 stretch-crepe Preen dress by designer Thornton Bregazzi

The Duchess of Cambridge also delivered a short speech at the unveiling of the blue whale skeleton at the Natural History Museum

These displays aim to cover the history of Earth, and include a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite, as well as the full skeleton of a mastodon, a distant relative of the mammoth

But the museum went ahead, and soon the famous fossil will be going on a nationwide tour of museums and galleries, including a stint at Norwich Cathedral in 2020.

The Duchess will also tour Hintze Hall’s 10 other new displays chosen from the museum’s collection of more than 80 million specimens.

These displays aim to cover the history of Earth, and include a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite, as well as the full skeleton of a mastodon, a distant relative of the mammoth.

Dippy’s replacement, the blue whale, is the largest known animal on Earth

After coming close to extinction, the animal became protected under international law in 1966, after which the blue whale population slowly began to increase

Dippy’s replacement, the blue whale, is the largest known animal on Earth.

After coming close to extinction, the animal became protected under international law in 1966, after which the blue whale population slowly began to increase.

Last night Kate joined the royal family at a state banquet for the King and Queen of Spain. She has drawn criticism for playing it safe in the fashion stakes, but on Thursday night the Duchess of Cambridge proved she is not afraid of pushing the boundaries as she attended a glittering state banquet held in honour of the King and Queen of Spain.

Last night Kate donned a revealing pink Marchesa dress as she joined the royal family at a state banquet for the King and Queen of Spain

DIPPY THE DINOSAUR

Hope takes centre stage in Hintze Hall in place of Dippy, the Diplodocus dinosaur skeleton cast that is soon to embark on a two-year tour of the UK, visiting Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and five regions across England.

The tour aims to connect the nation with nature and spark the imagination of a new generation of scientists, naturalists and environmentalists.

Dippy was commissioned for the Museum in 1905 by American businessman Andrew Carnegie, who that year bought the bones of the first Diplodocus ever discovered for his museum in Pittsburgh.

Dippy had been on display in Hintze Hall since 1979, before being taken down in January 2017 in preparation for his tour.

Kate, 35, looked sensational in a dusty pink custom-made Marchesa gown as she joined Prince William, the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and other senior royals to welcome King Felipe VI and his wife Queen Letizia to Buckingham Palace on Wednesday night.

The breathtaking floor-length dress featured a plunging V-neck in scalloped lace, which was a surprisingly revealing choice for the duchess and a departure from the conservative cuts she usually favours.

Despite her unusually daring choice, Kate ensured the spotlight remained firmly on the guest of honour, lingering in the background away from photographers as Queen Letizia took up a spot front and centre.

Kate drew further attention to her decolletage with an eye-catching diamond and ruby drop necklace, the ruby boucheron bandeau, which once belonged to the Queen Mother. The jewels fell just inches above the lowest point of the V-neck.

The garment's sheer bell sleeves added to its drama, which was offset by its soft colour and delicate lace fabric.

In keeping with royal tradition, Kate donned a tiara for the state dinner. The diamond and pearl Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara, which she wore to her first state banquet last year, was a piece beloved by William's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Kate finished the look with a favourite pair of diamond and pearl drop earrings.

The gown is markedly more daring than the dresses Kate chose to wear to her last two evening events, which both took place in March this year.

Kate, 35, looked sensational in a dusty pink custom-made Marchesa gown and donned a tiara for the state dinner. The diamond and pearl Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara was a piece beloved by William's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales

HOPE, THE BLUE WHALE SKELETON

The skeleton now on display in Hintze Hall is from a whale that became stranded in 1891 in Wexford Harbour, Ireland, 10 years after the Museum opened in South Kensington.

It was bought by the Museum and first went on display in the Mammal Hall in 1934, where it was suspended above a life-size model of a blue whale.

Curators, conservation teams and engineers have been working on the blue whale skeleton for months - mostly in an off-site warehouse due to its enormous size - cleaning and preparing it for its new home in Hintze Hall.