Monthly Archives: May 2013

Dutch State Visit to Luxembourg

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King Willem-Alexnder and Queen Máxima of The Netherlands embarked on their first state visit since becoming king and queen with a visit to Luxembourg today. Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa greeted them with great fanfare and it looks like a jolly good time was hat by all.

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The women both sported dusty pink hats by Belgian hat designer Fabienne Delvigne (making me wonder if there was some behind-the-scenes fashion coordination??). Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore a new straw picture hat with sharply angled upturned ‘slice’ brim trimmed with a wide pink Petersham ribbon hatband in the same shade. I like Maria Teresa’s hat better from the side profile than from the front where it slightly overwhelms her.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Queen Máxima repeated  was the wrapped calot she wore earlier this year on a state visit to Brunei (she originally wore it in April 2011 for William and Kate’s wedding).While I don’t like the wrapped texture of the piece, I like the shape- more than a bandeau but less than a turban. These off-the-face styles are really lovely on Máxima and is seems that she has stumbled onto a new hat trend that works very well for her. What do you think?

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Designer of both hats: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: January 21, 2013; April 29, 2011

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Photos from Getty as indicated

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh Visit Cambridge

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This morning, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, visited Cambridge for a day of engagements.

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The Queen opened the new Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology and the royal couple visited the Rosie Maternity Hospital. Elizabeth wore the same soft pink wool hat she wore this year for Easter and looked lovely. I wasn’t initially a fan of he white koosh ball pompom but now find it to be whimsical and fun. What do you think of this hat?

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Photos from Getty as indicated

Duchess Of Cornwall Celebrates National Volunteering

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The Duchess of Cornwall joined 1,800 volunteers and supporters at a thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Royal Voluntary Organization yesterday. For this occasion, Camilla wore a smart  navy and cream picture hat with diagonal bands around the crown, side bow, tall feather and slightly raised brim on one side. This hat, designed by Philip Treacy, is another one of Camilla’s hats with a lot going on but she seems to carry it well. Her Bruce Oldfield designed coat compliments the hat well to create another ensemble. Camilla is on fire with great hat fashion these days, isn’t she?

For those of you interested in such things, Camilla has worn this hat numerous times. We last saw it on the Duchess in May 2009 for the 100th anniversary of Royal Navy Aviation; before that she wore it June 2007; July 2006; July 2005; June 200 and May 2005. I hope she wears it again because it’s an excellent hat on Camilla.

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British Royals Host Palace Garden Party

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Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, hosted the first summer garden party of the 2013 season at Buckingham Palace today. The Queen wore a soft pink straw hat with a tall crown and small mushroom brim that she first wore on a visit to Hereford as part of her Jubilee tour last year . There was a large band of pink tweed, the same fabric as her coat, wrapped around the crown that, from a distance, made the crown look diagonally shaped. The hat brim and the coat were trimmed in wide pink silk piping. While the designer of this hat has not been confirmed, it is widely agreed to be the work of Angela Kelly.

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Prince Philip wore a very dashing dove grey top hat. With his grey waistcoat and royal blue tie, I thought he looked quite handsome.

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The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge also attended. Camilla wore a dove grey picture hat with massive feather plume designed by Philip Treacy. While this is the first time we’ve seen this hat here on the blog, Camilla first debuted it in June 2006 and (if I’m counting correctly), wore it for the tenth time today (here are the other eight: June 2012; September 2011;  May 2011; July 2009; July 2009; May 2009; July 2008; and July 2006). It’s a LOT of hat that looks messy with every little gust of wind but Camilla clearly likes it. She wore it with a new coat today- by far the best outfit she’s worn with this hat. In the the second photo (without the hat waving around like a live creature)  I think she looks beautiful. (Prince Charles even got in on the hat action by carrying a black silk top hat. Very dapper, indeed).

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Kate wore the same cream Jane Corbett hat  she wore for the Order of the Garter Service in June 2011 at St. George’s Chapel. This hat is a little too fussy for me and while I like the side profile, I don’t like this hat head-on (it’s too far down on Kate’s forehead).  Paired with Kate’s sunshine yellow Emilia Wickstead coat, I suppose the whole outfit came together. What do you think of this hat?

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Photos from Getty as indicated

Princess Beatrix Opens Museum Exhibition

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In her first public engagement since the inauguration and the enthronement of the new Dutch King and Queen, Princess Beatrix  visited the Villa Mondriaan in Winterswijk yesterday. She opened an exhibition of famed Dutch artist Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan, Jr. entitled, Where it All Started. For this visit, she wore the same red straw brimless hat by Suzanne Moulijn she wore on a visit to Doha in March 2011.

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This particular hat has an interesting navy ring around the crown not visible in today’s photos. I’m not a great fan of these brimless hat “cakes” but it was so wonderful to see Beatrix looking her usual bright smiling self after her big transition this month that I’m not going to complain about this one.

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Photos from Getty as indicated