The Duchess of Cornwall attended the National Harvest Service at Birmingham Cathedral yesterday. Dressed in very trendy navy, Camilla topped her dress with a wool felt hat with square crown, slightly angled brim and a monochrome twisted rope. The twisted rope embellishment always reminds me of a sausage (not what one wants to be reminded of when looking at a royal hat) but I do like the elegantly refined shape of the hat. Camilla also looks marvelous in blue.
I suspect the snakey sausage trim on this hat will not be overwhelmingly popular with you again, dear readers so I welcome your renovation suggestions – what kind of embellishment would you replace it with?
Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: April 8, 2014; December 25, 2014; March 19, 2012
Photos from WPA Pool via Getty and Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
Perhaps if the last link of the sausage were clipped off? — So the stuffed band just appeared as a finished twist, it would be less disconcerting. But still proportions are just off. What is up with the skirt on that outfit? Does it need a spritz of anti-static/clingfree, or did she just forget to wear a slip? The bunchy clingy skirt does nothing to help the hat!
MrFitzroyOBE, I agree, she needed some anti-static spray or a slip under it.
I agree that the sausage is wrong but that being said, Camilla looks fabulous and may I say–regal.
Yes, the sausage has to go. Something lighter is needed, perhaps a satin trim.
HillyB, I agree totally.
I agree that the hat worked better with the heavier Christmas coat – it seems a better balanced outfit. I love the richness of the fabric when the light shines on it, and to give the “snake” its due, that’s mainly where you see the lovely glow of the light on the velvet.
no idea why but the hat is fine to me. Love the colour.
Love the color but my kingdom for a simple navy satin band! Perhaps with a flat side bow or flower to liven it up. The hat is very angular and the twisted pool noodle around it just looks so odd!
Pool noodle, haha. I personally liked this hat best of all with the grey coat from 2012. This dress however is very flattering and I really like the hem.
I agree HPB it does look rather like a pool noodle! I like the shape and color of the hat, and a simple satin band would have been enough. This hat looks too wintery to go with this dress, and I think it looked better in the Christmas outing with the winter coat.
The crown is tall, the brim narrow, and the rope thick. The color is gorgeous! If the rope were much, much smaller in diameter it might work better. I guess I’m not a fan of this hat.
I echo everyone’s comments. The hat appears to be too heavy especially worn with the lighter weight dress/coat.
I think today is a less successful use of the hat than it was on Christmas 2013. The odd sausage makes the hat heavy, and a heavy hat went better with a heavy winter coat than it does with the lighter dress today. I suspect today’s hat was chosen because the sausage is of a similar color to the dress, but this not a flattering look.
The hat is lovely, rope and all. However, I do not think it flatters her. The hat looks heavy and looks like it is weighing her down…it has created a “pushing down” look … just my opinion. I would have preferred a smaller hat with that outfit. Sorry.
I agree with other comments about fit being off. I think the coil is an effort to visually widen the crown which is too narrow for Camilla. For the hat itself, I think some sort of flourish placed on the side away from the upturned brim would give it better balance, but it definitely would not be right for this wearer.
Yes, the rope like trim is a bit snake like but instead of viewing that as a negative, I think it adds a certain dash. Given the conservative strictures imposed on her dress, give the lady a break in her wishing to gently push the boundaries to express herself just a teensy bit! She looks elegant and quite fabulous, IMO.
Nope. That shape of hat is so completely wrong for her face and hair that no change in trim can save it. Total, complete and utter FAIL.
I hate that rope trim. It reminds me of a cat tail or a snake coiled around and ready to strike. Anything would be better than that. A ribbon band would have been much better. This is one ugly hat.
I like the shape, love the color. If trim merely wrapped around the hat’s brim, I could get on board. As it is, it looks…odd.
I dunno, there seems to be something a bit “off” with the hat. Is it not quite the right fit? It looks as though it’s perched on her head. The embellishment also seems to be a little too large. There’s just something niggling at me …