ABOVE: Kate Middleton visits the homeless charity, 'Centrepoint', in December 2011.

Then there’s the hair. Not since Jennifer Aniston’s ‘Rachel’ cut have we been so enamoured with one woman’s locks. But it hasn’t just made us want to visit the hairdressers more regularly; it’s also helped us to trust her. Studies show that members of US congress are more likely to have a full head of hair than their peers because it’s seen as a sign of reliability. It also makes us like her more. A 1999 study has revealed that long-haired girls in primary school are more successful than short-haired girls – they have more friends, are regarded as more popular and prettier. Akin Konizi, British Hairdresser Of The Year, explains, “Kate’s hair is appealing to the professional woman who wants to connect with her own femininity. And there is something about the fact her hair positively gleams with health that makes us trust her – you don’t get hair like that if you don’t look after yourself, and by extension, others.” Again, a 2004 study backs this up – long and medium-length hairstyles significantly improved our evaluations of women’s health status. A recent Mintel study found that we are buying more haircare products than ever, hinting at how much she may be affecting us.

Kate the Role Model

Once upon a time, Kate was criticised for her work ethic by a feminist culture which praised career women. Despite going to St Andrews University and getting a 2:1 in History of Art she never set a successful career in motion, spending just 11 months as an accessories buyer at Jigsaw after she graduated. Now, however, she is doing a sterling job of being a royal. And don’t think for one second that it’s not actually a job. Kate is already the patron of four charities, but she is also busy making discreet visits to various other charities as she plans to double these commitments in the coming months. While Prince William was away on a six-week tour of duty in the Falkland Islands in February and March, Kate made numerous public appearances, either alone or with the Queen and Camilla.

This new-found work ethic has left an impression on us – as Generation Y we are extremely career focused – 13.6 million women in the UK work and 76% claim it’s the most important part of their lives. Research shows that women trust women who do things effectively and are particularly impressed by women who are competent at work. Kate is pulling off her professional duties – be that accompanying her husband on a royal tour of Canada or visiting the areas of Birmingham affected by last summer’s riots – brilliantly, and the effect is that we feel safe in her hands, like we have someone to rely upon.

We have another reason to look up to Kate. Over the past 15 years a new breed of celebrity – the reality TV star – has reared its head. We are living in an odd, unsettling culture with strong women eerily absent from the public eye, replaced by those dogged by scandals and indiscretion. The result is we crave a solid and dependable role model who acts with decorum and makes us feel safe. And Kate fits that mould perfectly. As Shattock Dawson explains, “In a world where things currently seem so unpredictable, a person who is so clearly controlled is appealing.” Interestingly, studies show that during recessions we seek reliable and cautious role models to look up to, and it’s female role models which women are looking for. In 2006, Penelope Lockwood of the University of Toronto conducted a study where male and female students were given a fictional newspaper article about someone who had succeeded in their chosen field. While some read about a woman, others read about a man. After finishing the article, the female students who had read about the woman rated themselves more highly than those who read about the man.

Why We All Want to Believe in Kate