The British Royal Family attended an annual Remembrance Day ceremony yesterday at the London cenotaph. The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duke of Kent, The Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Princess Anne all attended in military uniform (as did Princess Anne’s husband, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence).
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Queen Elizabeth repeated a black wool hard-shell hat with a triangular front cutout and brass buckle trim.
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Designer: Philip Somerville
Previously Worn: Nov. 11, 2007; Jan. 5, 2005; Nov. 11, 2004; Nov. 7, 2002; Feb. 12, 2002
The Duchess of Cambridge and The Countess of Wessex both wore embellished black wool berets. Kate’s hat, which we’ve seen a few times before, was trimmed in black felt flowers and leaves while Sophie’s hat looked to be trimmed in a black silk rose bloom and large ribbon bow.
Kate’s hat Designer: Sylvia Fletcher of Lock & Co. It is the “Fairy Tale” style.
Previously Worn: Sept. 23, 2013; March 17, 2013; March 8, 2012
Sophie’s hat Designer: Jane Taylor
Princess Alexandra repeated her black felt hat with domed crown with wide, ruched velvet hatband and bound brim.
The Duchess of Gloucester repeated her cuffed black velvet domed bumper hat with side silk bow.
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: September 11, 2013
Princess Michael of Kent attended a Remembrance Service with numerous scout troops (including the First City Beavers, shown here). She repeated a black pillbox with rounded top, wrapped in large feathers.
Designer: John Boyd
Previously Worn: October 3, 2012
* she has this same hat in white, worn in May 2012
Photos Getty as indicated and The Royal Kents
Royal Hats 
I love this hat of the Queen. It calls forth to the heavens with its sparkles and height while firmly anchoring itself to the earth with its brass buckle, all in remembrance of those who labored and sacrificed their lives so that England may be free.
Sophie’s beret is stunning, but not on her. It elongates her face, maybe it’s the placement, or some hair around her face would help. Kate on the other hand, needs to get rid of some hair. Seriously, a 31 year old twirling her curls is not a good look at a Remembrance Day ceremony. Or any public appearance. i feel Kate is in no (wo) man’s land at present. She needs to leave her little girl, coquettish poses behind and step up to the plate as a Royal wife. Lizzie’s hat is quite harsh, in both colours.
Have you noticed that whenever Kate goes to an event that is not “her” event (like someone’s wedding or like today) she wears a hat that she has already worn before? I think she knows that much attention will be on her and that attention is less when she wears something she has already worn before. I think that shows considerable consideration for others.
As was said here already, Kate was not twirling her curls. She was moving her hair behind her shoulder because it was on top of her poppy.
I loved the berets of the Duchess of Cambridge and the Countess of Wessex. The military hats all looked very smart. I also liked the Queen’s hat but I would have preferred it without the cutout. Everyone was very appropriately dressed for the occasion.
Great observation- Kate and Sophie’s berets were a gentle nod to the military, weren’t they?
I really like Sophie’s hat! Kate’s coat is stellar!
Kate’s hat is lovely as always but her coat is gorgeous!
I thought everyone looked really smart and well dressed, and loved the hats of CS and DC. I loved the coat and hat on DC, that coat is really well made and very chic. The only thing is that I didn’t like the fact that DC was twirling her hair, or whatever she was doing, not the smartest thing to do while on duty with the Queen. She did look very nice and had a great choice of a coat and hat.
Some reports suggested that Kate was pushing one side of her hair back behind her shoulders as it was covering the poppy she was wearing.
Thank you for clearing that up, I hadn’t read that. DC did look very chic, that coat is so beautiful and the hat, perfect all the way!
Each of Queen Elizabeth’s dresses has precisely one jacket and/or one coat and one hat (although some hats are retired and replaced) — except for black, which is a free-for-all. Black coats and hats are switched around willy-nilly. Today’s black hat is similar to a green hat worn over the years, including within the last couple of years at Sandringham: http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/smiling-portrait-of-queen-elizabeth-ii-continuing-her-tour-news-photo/52108112.
Everyone looks appropriate sombre and appropriate today except for the Countess of Wessex, who should lose the extra two poppies on her purse.
You guys don’t miss anything! Indeed- the Queen has this same hat in pale green.
I just recently found this blog, and it’s great!
Prior to Angela Kelly’s millinery endeavors, it was rare to see HM wearing identically shaped hats in different fabrics. I think this hat shape was one of the first times this occurred. The black hat worn yesterday was first seen during the mourning period for Princess Margaret in 2002. A few months later during the Golden Jubilee tour in Wells, the celadon version was worn.
http://s258.photobucket.com/user/baxterb514/media/Untitled-1a_zpsdc635518.jpg.html
Kate’s and Sophie’s hats are very similar, but I much prefer Sophie’s. However, I think that’s probably more to do with the angle it’s worn at, and the fact that Kate’s hair is very much Down and very distracting, rather than any great intrinsic difference between them. I like the Queen’s hat, it is very simple, but the cut-out and buckle add just enough to make it distinguished. But what do we think is the thing to the left of the buckle (as we look at it)? A hatpin? It’s difficult to tell in this photo, but when I saw it during the ceremony, it looked silver to me, and it struck me as strange having it right next to the brass of the buckle.