British Royals Host First Palace Garden Party This Season

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Members of the British royal family attended the first Buckingham Palace Garden Party of the season on Wednesday

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The king repeated his black silk top hat while Queen Camilla repeated a cream sinamay hat with sidesweeping brim trimmed with a black hatband, a black silk side knot and curving silk wired bow tails in black and white.

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The dramatic, high-contrast swirling bow trim sets this hat apart from all of Camilla’s other cream hats (and designs in the same shape!).

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Milliner: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: Jul 4, 2023; Jun 23, 2023

The Duke of Edinburgh affirmed his black silk top hat as the most highly polished one in the family. The Duchess repeated the pink sinamay saucer hat with overlay of pleated Italian organza she wore to Royal Ascot last year. The pleating on this piece is magnificent.

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Milliner: Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: Jun 23, 2023

Princess Anne topped a new floral dress and royal blue jacket with a matching sinamay saucer hat trimmed with large crin bow and feathers. It looks like a ready-to-wear piece. While she wears this saturated blue well, I wish some of the colours in her lovely dress would have been incorporated into the trim on the hat.

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Milliner: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

The Duchess of Gloucester repeated her sky blue sinamay hat with wide pleated brim while the Duke wore his black top hat.

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Milliner: unknown
Previously Worn: Jun 21, 2023; May 3, 2023; June 13, 2022;  Jun 3, 2022;  March 29, 2022

Thoughts?

Images from Getty and social media as indicated  

Danish State Visit To Sweden

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King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark arrived in Stockholm on Monday for a state visit. For the official welcome, both kings predictably wore ceremonial military uniform with caps.

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Queen Mary wore a new calot hat in navy sinamay with large bow at the back.

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The styling of the ensemble is a classic success with navy accessories beautifully setting off the textured white dress. As for the hat shape… one comment online described the hat’s bow as eating her head, especially from head-on veiw from a distance. The bow certainly gives the calot presence.

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Milliner: Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Queen Silvia repeated a cerise silk covered pillbox trimmed with a flat bow around the back and a slim yellow silk piping around the base of the front that ties to the hounds tooth patterned dress of this ensemble.

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On its own, the hat is fine- it’s a classic pillbox and Silvia wears the shape well. It’s the overall look that feels off, maybe because it feels less chic and more costume to me in this colour scheme in high-sheen fabrics.

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Milliner: unknown. Silk dress and coat by Maknam.
Previously Worn: Nov 15, 2022

Crown Princess Victoria wore a floral headpiece with large petals made of the same pink fabric as her dress and coat with a black center.

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Milliner Tim Maartenson made mini versions of the headpiece for buttons on Victoria’s dress and a small hairclip for Princess Estelle. It’s fair to point out that Maartenson’s work is bringing to life a design by Christer Lindarw, whose vision was clearly an overall pink look with black accessories. I find the headpiece’s design both a bit cutesy and a little flat although make no mistake, it’s impeccably made; Maartenson has created some lovely headpieces for the crown princess and I suspect he would have come up with something more sophisticated had he been given the freedom to create his own design to coordinate with this ensemble. That all being said, it’s great to see such collaborations between designers, milliners and makers happening and being acknowledged. 

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Milliner: Tim Maartenson for Christer Lindarw. Dress and coat by Birgitta Jonsson for Christer Lindarw.
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

Princess Sofia repeated a white bandeau headpiece.

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Milliner: unknown. Dress by Veronica Virta
Previously Worn: May 17, 2022

During the programme of events the first day, the two queens removed their hats. Queen Mary wore a sparkling hair comb; between the comb and the calot, I’ve have gone with the calot. Let’s hope this practice of removing hats after a state visit’s welcome doesn’t become tradition.

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Milliner: Ellen Hunter NY “Nell” comb  
Previously Worn: Jan 3, 2024

Thoughts?

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Images from Getty as indicated 

Catching Up The Royal Windsor Horse Show

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Members of the British royal family were spotted attending and participating in the Royal Windsor Horse show over the weekend. On Thursday, May 2, the Duchess of Edinburgh was spotted with a brightly patterned Hermes scarf on her ponytail. We know the late Queen Elizabeth II had a vast collaction of Hermes scarves… dare I hope it was passed on from her collection?!

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On Friday, the Duke of Edinburgh wore a smart brimmed hat in fawn brown felt trimmed in a punched leather hatband with brass detail on the side.

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On Saturday, Lady Louise Windsor repeated a navy felt fedora with slim leather hatband and side feather mount.

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Milliner: Hayfield England
Previously Worn: May 12, 2023; May 14, 2022 and by her mum: July 3, 2021

On Sunday, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Lady Louise Windsor and Prince Michael of kent took part in the carriage driving event. Sophie repeated a hat with tall, ivory straw crown and navy sinamay bound brim, trimmed with a navy sinamay twist and sweeping white feathers.

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The hat is more than two decades old and while the high crown dates the design, the classic navy and ivory colour scheme helps it transcend time (and suits Sophie well). It’s wonderful to see pieces with such longevity.

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Milliner: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: June 12, 2004, June 19, 2002

Lady Louise wore a boater hat in natural straw braid, trimmed with a knotted fabric hatband in warm rosewood pink. Her hair was tied back with another vibrantly patterned Hermes scarf.

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It’s a classic, netural hued hat well suited to this event. The hatband is clearly an addition- further showing the hat’s versatility- but I wish it had been pulled down on the base of the crown. Minor quibbles.

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Milliner: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

Prince Michael repeated a Panama hat with pleated black hatband that has been much worn, showing signs of wear at the top of the crown.

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Thoughts?

Images from Getty as indicated 

Moldovian State Visit To Norway

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President Maia Sandu of the Republic of Moldova arrived in Oslo on Monday for a short state visit.

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For this welcome, Queen Sonja vibrantly contrasted against the military uniforms and caps worn by King Harald and Crown Prince Haakon. Her fuchsia felt pillbox looks to be trimmed with felt petals on the back of the hat’s crown.

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Milliner: unknown. Blazer by Rena Lange
Previously Worn: May 27, 2015

Crown Princess Mette-Marit repeated a picture hat in muted pink braid trimmed with a prim bow on the side.

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The hat’s construction- straw braid sewn in overlapping rows- gives the design great texture and the brim, presence. It’s a simple design that suits Mette-Marit well. Whatever reason she stopped wearing brimmed hats, it’s lovely to see one on her now.

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Milliner: unknown
Previously Worn: May 11, 2023

Thoughts?

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hats 102 years to the Prince of Wales’ tour of Japan and India. In this snap, he is pictured pulling Admiral Halsey in a rickshaw (unsuccessfully, it seems by that bent wheel!) in a checked newsboy cap.

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Photo from Getty as indicated