Monthly Archives: May 2013

Birthday of Zara Tindall

Posted on by

The British Royal Family celebrates another birthday today, the thirty-second birthday of Zara Tindall. Daughter of Princess Anne and granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, Zara has maintained a high public profile not as a royal, but as a world-class eventing competitor (she was part of the silver medal winning team at the London Olympics last year). While we see Zara most often in jodhpurs or jeans, she sometimes attends more formal events and wows us with a millinery style as bold and unique as she is. When she turned up at the Cheltenham festival in March 2012 in this magnificent magenta saucer beret with larger-than-life bow, she stole the show. A royal with drive, determination, and fearless style – what’s not to love?!

Embed from Getty Images

Photo from Getty as indicated

Prince Harry Visits America

Posted on by

Prince Harry has been touring the USA this week, highlighting a number of programs in support of injured service personnel from the UK and US forces. With this theme for the tour, Harry has donned his British Army uniform on two legs of the tour so far. Last Thursday, he appeared in full ceremonial uniform at Arlington National Cemetery where he laid a wreath with a handwritten note honoring fellow soldiers.

Embed from Getty Images  Embed from Getty Images

On Saturday, Harry wore his combat uniform for the Opening Ceremony of the Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  You’ll note the hat is the same for both uniforms. He wears it quite well, doesn’t he?

Embed from Getty Images

Photos from Getty as indicated

Queen Margrethe of Denmark in Haderslev and Zealand

Posted on by

Queen Margarethe of Denmark has had a busy week of hat wearing so far this week. Yesterday, she attended  Marianne Christiansen’s installation as Bishop of Haderslev at the Haderslev Domkirke (Haderslev Cathedral). A short video of Margrethe entering the church can be seen on the cathedral’s Facebook page here. For this event, she wore her textured red picture hat with raised brim and side bow detail.

This morning, Margrethe attended the 275th anniversary of the Vallø Foundation (the foundation that supports Vallø Castle, a residence for unmarried, widowed and divorced women of noble decent). She wore the same black straw picture hat (with ruched band around the crown and a looped side bow) she wore while on a visit to England last summer. I suppose the shape is all right but compared to her usually millinery which is much brighter and bolder, this hat seems rather bland.

Which hat do you prefer?

Photo from Haderslev Domkirke and Rikke Michael Hansen

British Royals at the Windsor Horse Show

Posted on by

It’s lovely to be back after a weekend away. We have several hats to catch up on!

The British Royal Family have been busy this weekend with Prince Harry on tour in the USA (stay tuned later today for a post about this), Kate debuting a new hat at a wedding and several others enjoying the Royal Windsor Horse Fair. Prince Philip enjoyed the Horse Fair last Thursday in this natty newsboy cap. For their day at the fair on Saturday, Prince Edward  chose a leather outback style hat while his daughter, Lady Louise, wore a cute coogan cap. Isn’t it sweet on her?! Edward looked quite well in his hat but it was the wrong hat to wear with a tweed coat and tie.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images  Embed from Getty Images

Yesterday, Queen Elizabeth braved the muck to present a number of fair awards. She repeated the vibrant purple Rachel Trevor Morgan we last saw her wear in early February while at Sandringham. While I love this colour on her more and more each time she wears this hat, I think the “bumps” on the top of the crown make the overall shape of this hat look a little off.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Prince Philip participated in the Fair yesterday as a carriage driver (a sport in which he has become quite an expert) and looked quite patriotic in a red, white and blue panama hat. It’s a good hat on him but very awkward with his tweed coat and green tie. I think panama hats belong with chinos and linen shirts on summer vacation but that’s just me.

Embed from Getty Images  Embed from Getty Images

My favourite image at the Royal Windsor Horse Fair this year was this one of the Queen. While we think of her in tiaras and fancy hats, I suspect she prefers a headscarf to a tiara most days. I think these photos capture how how much of a country girl she is at heart.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

UPDATE: Reader Jelsta pointed out another sighting of the Queen at the Royal Windsor Horse show on Saturday (May 11) in the lovely turquoise Rachel Trevor Morgan hat we last saw her wear in January this year while at Sandringham. I still think this is a wonderful hat on the queen- what do you think about this one?

Photos from Getty as indicated; Gf/Bauer Griffin 

Duchess of Cambridge Debuts New Hat

Posted on by

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the wedding of friends William van Cutsem and Rosie Ruck Keene in Oxfordshire this weekend – for this occasion, she debuted a new hat made by Viviene Sherif.  A photo released by the milliner shows it to be a pyramid saucer hat covered in overlapping rows of feathers. The hat is trimmed with a spray of black feathers and curled quills around the back. The feather work is beautiful but there’s something about the pyramid shape in this particular scale that I don’t think works very well.

Embed from Getty Images

Photos from Getty as indicated