Members of Monaco’s Royal Family gathered to celebrate their national holiday today. And a national holiday, dear friends, means lots of royal hats!
While Princess Charlene did not attend the celebration mass at Cathedrale Notre-Dame-Immaculee de Monaco or watch the military parade, she did make an appearance on the balcony in the most quintessential of French hats. While the black hue feels too harsh for my taste, the simple lines of this beret seem a good fit with Charlene’s clean-lined fashion aesthetic. She looks quite chic in this beret, don’t you think?
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this is a new hat
Princess Caroline of Hanover and Monaco’s hat was neither clean nor simple but it was great fun. She topped her navy tweed dress and jacket with a whimsical navy cocktail hat trimmed with straw ribbon twists, feathers flying off in all directions, and a large navy net tulle veil. On its on, I find the hat to be rather run of the mill but paired, to great contrast, with her austere suit, it made a fantastic combination.
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this is a new hat
Tatiana Santo Domingo Casiraghi wore a gently sloped black pyramid hat trimmed with a large black bow. Tatiana is known for her bohemian fashion style and I thought that her ensemble was an interesting style departure for her. In the end, I think her beautiful grey and blue lace suit was much more successful than the hat which, from a distance, looked like a squashed mortar board.
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this is a new hat
Oddly shaped as it was, Tatiana’s hat was a vast improvement to the headpiece worn by Princess Stephanie. For the second year in a row, Stephanie trotted out a royal scrunchie to secure the chignon in her hair. I defer to the words of commenter edoep who wrote last year, ” ‘dear steph, please note: a scrunchie is NOT a teeny-weeny hat!” That sums up my sentiments as well.
Baroness Elisabeth-Anne de Massy (Prince Albert’s first cousin, the daughter of his father’s sister Princess Antoinette) wore a stylised black bowler hat with black net veil (behind Princess Caroline, below), Her daughter, Mélanie-Antoinette Costello de Massy (beside Princess Stephanie, below), wore a black cloche variation with a square crown, wrapped in a ruched black sash.
And finally, the Duke and Duches of Castro, who are close friends of Prince Albert, were also in attendance. Camilla topped her purple coat dress in a coordinating slouchy Fez-style hat which was trimmed in a swath of net tulle veil. While the hat has a slight air hostess vibe about it, the colour is lovely on her and the concept is unique. It’s nice to see a hat we don’t see every day, isn’t it?
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this is a new hat
Because Monaco’s national holiday falls at this time of year, we usually see hats in dark, wintery hues and this year was no exception. Did any of these hats stand out to you?
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
Charlène est une ambassadrice de rêve pour l image du béret chic !! Je suis d autant plus fière que le béret qu’elle porte vient du Musée du Béret à Nay . (www.museeduberet.com)
I love the Duchess of Castro’s hat, I have the impression that close up the hostess vibe dissolves. Very elegant!
J’aime beaucoup le béret de Charlène et de la Duchesse de Castro ; j’aime pas du tout le chapeau de Tatiana
I liked the hat of the Duchess of Castro the best. I think it was the color. Second place in my opinion went to Baroness de Massy – I do not usually care for bowler hats so that ought to let everyone know how I feel about the other hats…and the “Non-hat” worn by Princess Stephanie.
Love Charlene’s hat and look! It is very her – minimalistic, etc. but still quite stylish and not at all boring as some of her ensembles can go. Plus, she was beaming the entire time! I must say a smile suits her! I agree that Caroline’s hat could be quite pedestrian, but with that outfit it was perfect! I on the other hand really liked Tatiana’s hat and coat. She looked quite smart and I liked the hat’s departure from the norm. 🙂
All of the hats were out of the ordinary (except for Princess Charlene’s beret, but seeing her in a hat very unusual!). I don’t like any of them overly much, but it’s nice to see royal hats that are interesting and not completely predictable. Oh heck… it’s just nice to see the Monaco royals in hats at all!
I also liked Tatiana’s hat a lot… maybe even more if she hadn’t worn her hair cascading over her shoulder
Not really much to say about the hats, is there? Caroline is showing pizzazz and so proud of her for her graceful ageing amid an environment where the pressure is probably to do otherwise. I’ve always thought she was a pretty classy act. Tatiana’s hat may be a bit odd but her outfit is smart and her son is an absolute treasure, no wonder grand-mere has such a tight hold of him. I’d be tempted to shower kisses on that delicious bare knee! I’m glad that Charlene has been able to carry her twins for so long (they have a habit of making an early arrival), finger crossed she makes it even closer to her due date. And still she manages to look chic, her fashion sense is amazing.
The balcony shot of Sacha in his Dad’s arms … doesn’t he have a look of Ranier about him?
The second picture of Princess Caroline made me think that a small helicopter or a large grasshopper had just landed on her head. I like the material of her suit, however, and the other photos were more flattering of her hat.
Unlike Princess Stephanie’s scrunch, Tatiana Santo Domingo’s hat is visible, even though it does look as though it was sat on while she was waiting to graduate.
This was not a good hat day in Monaco, and there aren’t many hat days in Monaco to begin with.
Snug Harbor, you read my mind.
Pass. Princess Charlene looked lovely though.
Overall one big meh! hats and clothes. And I had such high hopes for Charlene….
Looking at pictures on other sites I kept wondering what on earth Tatiana had or her head, Thank you for clearing it up, but it does not make me like it any better. Caroline looked great. I like her ensemble very much and agree the hat made it all special.
This has been the most fun Monaco Day since I am folowwing so closely the royal families (a few years)! This isnot due to the hats, but due to the nice surprise appearances. I am OK with all the hats. Caroline’s hat was gorgeous on her, though I can’t imagine it on many women. Tatiana’s hat is beautiful, but she just didn’t get the placement right. It should have been much more on her forehead and a little more inclined to the side. But I am so gled she showed up with her little angel, and dressed up properly, I”ll give it a pass. Others were OK too, except of poor Stephanie, who doesn’t find her place nor in fashion nor in the family.