Kate Middleton is well-known for her long, glossy hair and her tireless philanthropy, and now it's being reported that she kindly donated seven inches of her locks to a children's cancer charity last year.

It's believed that the 36-year-old royal came up with the idea herself while having her hair cut by hairdresser Joey Wheeler at Kensington Palace.

A royal source told The Sunday Express: 'Four months ago Joey persuaded her it was time to take off some of her hair, he said it was just getting too long.

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'While Joey was snipping away the idea came to her of doing some good with it rather than throwing it away.

'She mentioned it to Joey, who thought it was a brilliant idea.'

Kate reportedly gave her hair to the Little Princess Trust, a charity which makes wigs for children who have lost their hair through illness, which was sent under a different name.

The source added: 'It was sent using someone else's name, so that the trust didn't know it was from a royal source – they just thought it was from a female donor in the Kensington area.'

Helen Creese, a spokesperson for the charity, said she was 'delighted' to hear the news.

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'We were absolutely delighted to hear that the Duchess of Cambridge had donated her hair to the Trust,' Creese told ELLE UK. 'We are so very grateful to every single person who kindly supports the charity in this way. As the Duchess of Cambridge is so much in the public eye, we hope the message that the charity can help children and young people with hair loss will reach everyone who might need our assistance. Receiving a free, real hair wig has a very positive impact on a child or young adult at such a difficult time. We hope that this donation will encourage others to consider supporting the charity in the same way.'

The charity added on Twitter: 'We believe that we have the best supporters in the whole world and it is lovely to know that Princess Kate is now one of them!'

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Naomi Gordon

Naomi Gordon is news writer mainly covering entertainment news with a focus on celebrity interviews and television.