Members of the Belgian Royal Family attended an annual Mass at Église Notre-Dame in Laeken, Belgium today to commemorate the lives of deceased Royal Family members. Queen Paola led the group with an unstructured chocolate velvet beret hat trimmed with many rows of stitching which gives texture and a quilted look to the design. It’s a bit informal for my taste but works well with her coat.
Princess Mathilde repeated a grey wool vagabond-style hat designed by Fabienne Delvigne she first wore for King’s Day celebrations back on November 15, 2011. It’s an effortlessly chic design she carries off fantastically.
Princess Astrid and Princess Léa (wife of King Albert’s late step-brother Prince Alexander) were both in wool fedoras with slightly enlarged brims. I’m not usually a fedora fan but with their fur trimmed coats, these two princesses looked very chic as well. We have not see Princess Léa much since the death of her husband in 2009 and it’s wonderful to see her looking so well. Princes Marie Esmerelda (younger step-sister of King Albert) was also in attendance in a simple black wool hat with upturned brim.
Princess Claire did not attend this event- we’ll likely see her (and the rest of the family) at National Day celebrations on July 21. I also expect we’ll see a hat or two during Prince Phillippe and Princess Mathilde’s visit to Thailand in mid March.
What did you think of the Belgian royal hats today? Which one was your favourite?
Photos from Photonews, Bert Van Den Broucke/Photonews , Bert Van Den Broucke/Photonews, via Getty Images and PPE
Royal Hats 