Did the Queen order Kate Middleton to cut her hair?

The Duchess of Cambridge made headlines last week after stepping out with a brand new haircut.

Now, rumours are circulating that Kate Middleton, 33, agreed to the new look at Queen Elizabeth’s suggestion.

According to The Daily Mail’s Girl About Town editor Charlotte Griffiths, Queen Elizabeth was keen for Kate to adopt a more “sensible” and fitting hairstyle.

"Word reaches me Kate was quietly advised to swap the glamour girl hairdo she sported at Wimbledon in July for a length more appropriate for a future head of The Firm. But as she did not want to admit defeat quickly, she has been making the transition in stages," she wrote.

"By the time Kate went to a London conference in November her stylist had trimmed her hair slightly, but she sported a far more sensible style at a charity event in Wiltshire on Thursday. How long before we see her with a Sophie Wessex bob?"

Interesting...

Of course, it's not the first time there have been rumours about the Queen interfering in Kate's style.

Last year, Kate started wearing dresses with lower hemlines, believed by many to have been at the suggestion of the Queen, who was worried about her dress blowing up on windy days.

Maybe Kate's new, sleeker look was simply the result of being a busy mum of two, or maybe it really was thanks to a bit of royal meddling.

WATCH how to create an everyday, Kate-Middleton-inspired hairstyle:

Either way, it looks great - but we don't know how keen we'd be to take fashion advice from our grandmother-in-law...

What do you think of Kate's new look?

TAP on the image below and scroll through the gallery to reminisce about Kate's maternity style.