Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands has had two hat-wearing engagements this month that we need to catch up on! Last Saturday, she attended the 125th anniversary of the ecclesiastical Union of Utrecht. For this celebration, Beatrix topped her pewter and black scrolled jacket with a black straw hat. This hat, with a tall, folded double brim, featured a scroll-like pleat on the side. While I’m not sure about that side pleat, this hat’s overall simplicity (and absence of flower or feather trim) paired well with Beatrix’s patterned jacket. I sometimes feel that black can be a harsh and overwhelming colour on Princess Beatrix but her jacket kept things light and the whole ensemble worked well.
Designer: unknown. My guess is Suzanne Moulijn
Previously Worn: January 11, 2012; September 30, 2011; June 30, 2010; June 1, 2010; May 4, 2010
On September 5, Princess Beatrix visited Hitzacker, Germany, the birthplace of her late husband Prince Claus, to open a street named in the Prince’s honor. For this special event, she chose a navy straw hat with short brim and square crown. The hat was embellished with two things we usually see only on Princess Beatrix’s hats- a diagonal band around the top of the crown and a pair of straw loops on the side. I really like the way this hat pairs with the asymmetrically draped neckline of her navy printed dress and I thought she looked wonderful.
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: November 16, 2013
What do you think of this pair of hats on Princess Beatrix?
Photos from Patrick van Katwijk, Patrick van Katwijk, Albert Philip van der Werf and Albert Philip van der Werf via Corbis
Royal Hats 
Bea’s hats never thrill me, and I prefer the navy here. The top jacket is lovely, the sleeves are tame for Bea! Her sunny personality outshines any clothes she wears, wouldn’t she be fun to have a glass or two of bubbles with?
I don’t love the black hat, although she looks quite nice….it’s just not a style I particularly like. The blue one, though, is a thumbs up–hat, dress, jewels, all of it!
She looks lovely in both outfits. I really, really, like the black and pewter jacket! I think the black hat works very well and the pleats serve to keep it from looking like a stack of nesting bowls on her head. I love the blue hat, nice ornamentation, good shape, well balanced.
Never have been a friend of her hats but I too love the jacket
The second hat is my favorite of the two. Even at 70 plus, she is very attractive and always looks put together. She knows what she likes. That and her personality make her a perennial winner. I don’t always like what she wears, but it looks right for her, and she wears the clothes: they don’t wear her. A very gracious and lovely lady.
I agree with every word, Jamiemid!
I also agree. The navy outfit and hat is beautiful but she also looks so good in the black and gold. She has such a beautiful personal style.
She can do no wrong.