Queen Sofia of Spain celebrated the feast of the Virgen del Pilar, patroness of the Civil Guard. For this ceremony, she wore a beautiful black lace mantilla and peineta with her gown.
Photos from Corbis
Royal Hats
The Bold, Beautiful and Bizarre World of Royal Millinery
Royal Hats 
http://www.asahi.com/national/update/1003/TKY201310030043.html
Thanks, Jelsta. I’ll include this later today!
I can’t even imagine the hours gone into the lacework. Is this headpiece relatively new or antique?
beautiful!
This is certainly the most traditional form of head-adornment one sees on royals these days. And very recognisably Spanish too (do dignitaries of any other country in the world wear them for formal occasions?) Are the events they are worn at predictable? I thought it was mainly those connected with church services, but clearly that isn’t the case here. (Or maybe it is – does religious feast trump military parade in terms of dress code?!)
The comb thing is a peineta but that makes me think of a pinata!
There’s something quite magical about a mantilla and under-comb. It almost looks like a halo surrounding her. So pretty.
This is a great example of beautiful lacework. Queen Sofia looks very dignified and regal here. I wish the Spanish royals would wear more hats.
Agreed. They are the most infrequent hat wearers of all the royal families, by far. Thankfully, their tradition of mantilla wearing gives us a little headwear from time to time! The lace work of her veil really is beautiful, isn’t it?