Members of the Swedish Royal Family accompanied King Carl Gustaf this morning to officially open Swedish Parliament. As is tradition, the family was dressed in black and white, a dress code they adopted in the 1970s when the court dress requirement for this event was abolished.
Queen Silvia repeated a white ruched calot hat with a large beaded, looped bow. I thought her beautiful pearl jewellery helped tie the hat with her black suit and kept the ensemble from looking too starkly contrasted.
Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: April 5, 2014; June 4, 2013; May 29, 2012; April 26, 2010; May 24, 2009; April 22, 2009; April 15, 2008
Crown Princess Victoria topped her black and white dress with a striped hair bow nestled in her chignon. While I like the integration of the bow with her hairstyle, I really do think royal hair bows are best left to her daughter. It might be too much to dream but can you imagine how fantastic she would have looked in something like this non-royal but very famous black and white picture hat, worn earlier this week?
Designer: Evelina Persson
Previously Worn: I believe this headpiece is new
Sofia Hellqvist, fiance of Prince Carl Philip, attended this year’s Opening of Parliament for her first time. She wore her hair back in a neat chignon as well, and topped it with a sweeping headpiece of black and white feathers. From the front view, you can see how nicely this fascinator framed Sofia’s face. I particularly liked how the mix of black and white on both her headpiece and clutch provided just the right compliment to her beautiful black suit. For her first official royal engagement, I think Sofia did very well.
Designer: Evelina Persson
Previously Worn: I believe this headpiece is new
Click here to see a lovely seven minute clip of the Royal Family’s arrival. The hats today were not that exciting, I’m afraid, although we did see the official debut of a new royal hat wearer who did very well. What did you think of this lineup of Swedish royal hats and headpieces?
Royal Hats 
My goodness- who knew a simple black and white bow could be so polarizing! The comment thread below is more heated than usual- let’s all please keep our wits about us and agree to disagree. It is, after all, just a bow on someone’s head…!
The most interesting ones are always the most polarising. And polarising is so much better than boring. Wouldn’t you rather a royal hat inspire an emotion – any emotion! – than be regarded with indifference?
How interesting to see all the ladies in the black and white dress code. I think Queen Silvia always looks elegant and today’s outfit was no exception. I didn’t care for what CP Victoria was wearing and was not at all taken with the bow-too flat too big….but I thought that new fiancée Sophie looked absolutely lovely. The pleating and waist bow elevated the suit very simply but elegantly from just a plain black ensemble and I really thought the headpiece she wore was different and very flattering to her interesting face. I see bright things for her sartorially speaking if this is the sort of choices she is going to make moving forward into her now public and royal role. Thanks.
The details on Sofia’s suit are perfect. I wouldn’t pick her fascinator for myself but it looks great on her. Victoria’s headpiece is also super cute!
I don’t love the bow (rather emphatically, I’m afraid) but I do like that Victoria’s hair doesn’t look quite as severe as usual. It’s a lovely change!
Princess Victoria’s does look beautiful. What I like about the bow in her hair first, is the creative stripe on it and second, how it blends in with her whole outfit. The bow fits perfectly with her hair, dress and other accessories. She looks so elegant and pulled together!
Oh yes, yes, yes! Crown Princess Victoria would look stunning in that non-royal picture hat you linked!
All the ladies looked great, I so liked what CPV did, it was simple and tasteful, this bow was very unexpected and chic. I am most surprised at SH and how she dressed and acted, this is something new, maybe she will yet be a credit to the family. And QS was the most beautiful there, she is such an elegant lady………
Crystals on a silk pillbox hat? Yes please! Queen Silvia’s hat is brilliant!
I love the choices made by the ladies for this occasion; all are fabulous and appropriately attired. Princess Victoria’s side chignon and black and white bow is perfect. With all due respect, I must respectfully disagree with your choice of a replacement hat for the princess. The new Mrs. Clooney might look smart in her black and white pantsuit and picture hat which is perhaps most appropriate for her at this time; but she is not attending the opening of parliament, whereas the Princess is and further, I am sure protocol demands a certain style of dress / a dress code.
Mrs. Clooney’s hat is far closer to court dress than Princess Victoria’s is. Princess Victoria’s hair bow is NOT a hat.
Whether one calls it a hair ornament or a plain bow, in my opinion, it is far more suited for the occasion than a straw picture hat. I don’t care to split hairs over this, the opening of parliament in any country is a somber event and as such it is to be respected not made into a spectacle of. Mrs. Clooney looked fabulous in her hat, she was celebrating her marriage, a glorious and happy event, she did it in style: good for her.
Sorry, RW, but I just can’t agree that a fascinator is more serious or respectable than a real hat.
A bow can be very chic (look at any number of Chanel runway shows) but this one has an unsettling 1980s vibe about it.
It’s probably best not to discuss Amal Amaluddin’s fashion here because she is so much more interesting, chic, and daring than any royal. Not a fair comparison.
Just to clarify, RW, I confirmed that the dress code for the opening parliament in Sweden is simply day dress with a hat/headpiece. There is no further protocol or requirement as you suggest. In the past, court dress (full length gown with a hat) prevailed but the Swedish royals abandoned this tradition in the 1970s. Since then, the royal family has worn black and white and the hats have been in all shapes and sizes.
I seem to have opened a hornets nest by disagreeing with a choice of hat for the opening of parliament in Sweden. To disagree with some ones opinion is not a personal affront: disagreeing is healthy as it leads to debate which is the reason for blogs, I assume. In addition, being cognizant of the need to respect other opinions in this kind of forum, I did ” respectfully” disagree with the suggestion. From the links posted with photos of “big” hats worn in the past, some with a brims, they are all tasteful and did not in my opinion go beyond the point of where one could deem them inappropriate for such an occasion. I still feel that Mrs. Clooney’s hat which was lovely, would not have been the best choice for the opening of parliament. It was most appropriate for the occasion she chose to wore it.
Disagreement is healthy- let’s all please keep things calm. The tone in a few comments seems to have become a little hotter than it needs to be.
Perhaps this is a lesson to me not to bring non-royal hats into our discussion?!
They all have worn big hats in the past.
http://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/swedens-crown-princess-victoria-listens-as-her-father-king-news-photo/72074565
http://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/queen-silvia-and-king-carl-xvi-gustaf-of-sweden-and-crown-news-photo/82847388
http://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/swedens-king-carl-xvi-gustaf-and-queen-silvia-arrive-at-the-news-photo/72074542
http://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/swedish-crown-princess-victoria-arrives-together-with-news-photo/2500165
http://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/swedish-king-carl-gustaf-who-celebrated-30-years-as-the-news-photo/2500102
http://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/queen-silvia-of-sweden-at-the-opening-of-the-parliamentary-news-photo/158155173
I don’t mind Victoria’s bow/hat at all. If fact, I rather like it! It’s certainly nicer than CP Mary’s penchant for 50’s-style callotte hats. I didn’t like them then, and don’t like them now. The bow/hat is just the right size, and integrated into her hairstyle in such a way as to make it very pleasing.
Sofia gets my vote for best hat of the day (and best dressed).
Sofia looks stunning.
Lovely ladies all around!
Everyone looks appropriate and presentable. And, while I am not crazy about the hair bow, I think the picture hat would be too much for a political occasion.
I don’t understand what would be inappropriate about a picture hat for the opening of parliament? Queen Silvia and Princess Victoria have worn big hats to this event in the past.
I wish Amal Amaluddin was royal because her hat was amazing!
I like very much the dress of Princess Victoria but the hairbow is for a little girl and not a crown princess.
Sofia’s suit is nice, but the headpiece is just awful.
I really liked it! She usually wears her hair down and with her updo, the headpiece was really pretty.
Love Victoria’s hair bow: it’s perfectly proportioned and positioned. Kudos as well to HM and to Sofia for adding variety.
I thought all of the ladies looked very nice. I didn’t mind Victoria’s bow that much, and it looked fine with her hair. Thank your lucky stars that Mabel of Holland didn’t attend, because she loves bows on every item of clothing she wears! Sofia made a nice showing. I thought she and Queen Silvia looked the best.
“Members of the Swedish Royal Family accompanied King Carl Philip …” I think you meant King Carl Gustav. 🙂
I actually like Victoria’s hairpiece very much – from a distance when you can’t make out that it’s a bow. In fact, I think she was the best dressed of the ladies today, I love her whole outfit.
Eek! Thanks for the correction.