Members of the British Royal Family attended Christmas morning service yesterday at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene near Sandringham. Queen Elizabeth led her family in a bright new hat and coat made of orchid purple silk crepe. The hat, which consisted of a tall domed crown wrapped in a tall band and a downward sloped brim, was trimmed with two oversize bright fuchsia dyed feathers (the feathers coordinated with a fuchsia dress worn under the coat) While the bright colour was very festive and certainly made Her Majesty stand out in the crowd, there was something about the domed shape of the crown and the scale of the feathers which looked a little incongruous to me.
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Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: this is a new hat
While the Queen went for bold, saturated colour, the Duchess of Cambridge went for quiet earth tones and a hat we have seen numerous times before. Her chocolate felt bumper hat, trimmed with a flat, knotted bow at the side, is a classic hat that Kate wears well. This hat, combined with Kate’s brown tweed coat, made for a smart ensemble (minus that aging patterned scarf, please).
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Designer: Lock & Co. This is the “Betty Boop” style
Previously Worn: March 15, 2013; March 2, 2013; March 17, 2012
Princess Beatrice wore a classic black beret-based cocktail hat trimmed with a large knotted sash. While the hat is rather simple, I thought it was a lovely compliment for her Swiss dotted and lace trimmed coat and she wore it well.
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Designer: Rachel Black. It is the “Click” style
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Princess Eugenie wore a cerise wool brimless hat described by the designer as ” a wool felt pillbox with knot detailing”. I adore the scale and colour on Eugenie and thought its pairing yesterday with her simple wool coat in classic winter white was brilliant. The trim of this hat, strips of felt that fold into a knot detail on the side, is marvelously creative and turns what might have been a sedate hat into something truly wonderful. It is such a great hat for Eugenie and I thought she looked beautiful.
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Designer: Juliette Botterill. It is the “Knot Detail Pillbox” style
Previously Worn: This hat is new
I will be back later today to look at the hats worn by the Countess of Wessex, Princess Anne and Autumn Philips. Until then, are there any of these Christmas hats ones you wish would have been in your stocking this year?
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
of all the royals pictured in both posts, I am most impressed with the Duchess of Cambridge who with her understated elegance didn’t appear to be trying to draw attention to herself. She seems to be in a class with Princess Alexandra who just IS gracious and elegant..
I agree. She knows that the cameras will follow her and does her best not to stand out at family events. She is a class act and her hat was really cute.
Queen Elizabeth’s vivid color contrasted outfit was too loud to wear to a church service. The hat, with its overly tall domed crown, was too high for a petite lady, and the two oversized bright fuchsia dyed feathers looked comical. It looked like something the Mad Hatter dreamed up. It’s one of the worst hats of the year. I don’t even like the Tudor Rose brooch she is wearing.
This is the best I have ever seen Princess Eugenie look. The hat was a great shape for her. I loved the bright color on her hair. The coat and accessories were simple but elegant. I do wish the hat color tied in somehow with the rest of the outfit.
The Duchess of Cambridge looked drab dressed in earth tones, and I am fed up with seeing that chocolate felt bumper hat. The brown tweed coat looks just like one my great-aunt has had in her wardrobe since the 1960s, and she never wears it, but won’t get rid of it. Not only does the coat look dated, but so does the scarf. And so too the heavy black eyeliner that people wore in the 1970s.
Princess Beatrice looked an absolute mess. Her black beret-based cocktail hat looked appropriate for a cocktail party, not a daytime visit to a church. Black does look good against her red hair. I hated the dotted and lace trimmed coat. It was too short, especially for a church service. Her shoes looked ridiculous, and definitely only suitable to wear to a party, not to church.
I disagree with you. I thought Queen Elizabeth looked so bright and cherry in that colorful hat! Princess Beatrice’s coat was to short but her hat was really cute. So was Eugenie’s hat. I also thought Kate looked very elegant. Her whole outfit matched so nicely.
My sister sent me this picture of Beatrice with the note that she looked more like a fox going to a fair than a princess going to church. She was correct.
So you didn’t like the hats… that’s cool. I just think saying that Bea’s cocktail hat isn’t appropriate for church is going too far. If it was studded with rhinestones or had feathers shooting off in all directions than maybe. As it is, it’s a really adorable hat.
I loved Kate’s classic coat. So chic and timeless. I did not care for her hat especially. The shape is not one of my favorites on her. Beatrice’s coat, on the the other hand, was nothing short of tacky. I did like her hat. Black looks wonderful with her red hair. Eugenie’s hat was a beautiful color, but would have liked to see some of that color on her coat…a printed scarf or something of that nature? Queen looked elegant, but tire of seeing Angela Kelly’s creations and wish the queen would try different hat styles.
Love the Queen’s choice of such a bright colour, really stands out and it suits her. The shape of her hat reminded me of a Beefeater’s hat, and why do those feathers look like they’re made of plastic? Maybe, they’re really quill pens and she’s carrying spares in case she has to sign any documents while on the road!
Liked Kate’s whole look, very country. The scarf is entirely necessary to break up what otherwise is a big slab of dark brown (I wondered if she decided on the scarf at the last minute and grabbed one from the coat rack – it looked like something her in-laws would have lying around).
The York girls looked fine and like the York girls, which is why we like them. I’m glad E read the “shocking pink” memo from Granny and despite wearing three very different colours, her ensemble works! I wish B’s coat was a little longer and that she hadn’t opted for black but her hat’s nice. (She looks a bit shifty in that photo – snapped checking her messages maybe?)
I thought Eugenie and HM both looked absolutely stunning. It was so nice to see such bright colors for Christmas! One of Eugenie’s best looks by far. I was underwhelmed by Kate, but I’m also not big on all-brown ensembles either. Standard stuff for Beatrice.
This was Eugenie’s best look of the year! I’m so glad that the hat wasn’t a true pillbox, I’m so tired of them.
Beatrice was a trifle underwhelming.
Kate looked lovely, if sedate.
HM looked wonderful! I love the hat, not over embellished, and the colors are fantastic.
While I like the queen’s outfit overall, I felt the hat was a bit too tall. But that’s a small nit. She always looks totally put together. I must say upfront that the brown felt hat of Kate’s is one of my winter favorites from her collection. I thought she looked great, and I don’t feel the scarf was aging.
Beatrice’s hat didn’t do much for me, but I thought the shape worked well for her. I really didn’t like her coat or shoes; possibly with a better coat the hat would have looked sharper. I did like Eugenie’s hat a lot. This was a great shape for her and the color looked great against her dark hair, I thought.
The queen looks very elegant in her brights but the crown of the hat is a little high on such a petite lady. As a quiet country lady, I really like Kate’s quiet country look including the scarf. Please give me the coat for Christmas! Please, Father Christmas! Eugenie is okay — I like the pink with the white but would have liked another tie-in. Beatrice and that outfit — why, why!, WHY! She is a pretty girl and can do so much better. The hat might be okay with something else but is a bit small for her.
Don’t often get a chance to respond but love your blog and truly appreciate the time you put into it and the broad coverage of all royals. A Happy Christmas and wonderful New Year to you and all readers.
Julia is the reader I agree with the most today. Best Wishes to all.
I think Eugenie takes it for me. While I am not a fan of pink, the intensity of this shade looks well with the rest of her outfit. She looks both suitable for a church service and age appropriate. I always like the Queen in brights, but I’m just not sure about this–something about the hat does seem off. I like Beatrice’s hat, but dislike the rest of the outfit immensely (those shoes look three sizes too big??). Catherine’s repeated hat is fine and the outfit is nice, if a bit dull.
Sorry but I did not like any of it. Could see Autumn in the background. She looked Ok.
Brown can be good but Kate’s overall look is boring. I hate the hat. Do the designers know about the red hat ladies….red and purple …and they put the Queen in red and purple. The Yorks need serious help. Eugenie’s outfit is better but nothing special.
I would like to see the Duchess of Cornwall.
I believe the Duchess of Cornwall was ill and did not attend.
Other reports stated that she spent Christmas with her family and was not at Sandringham.
I think the Queen’s hat is fabulous, best Christmas outfit in years. The hat’s shape is excellent, not exaggerated, with a slightly bent brim and a wider crown. The two feathers are the only ornamentation; their being startlingly large doesn’t bother me since everything else about the hat (except the color, but this is one of the Queen’s standard colors) is rather subdued. I want to see the whole dress: it’s obviously red and pink in stripes, half and half or some combination.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s brown Betty Boop bumper is fine, a safe hat, I suppose, for anything with brown suede shoes, but it’s not an attention grabber.
Princess Beatrice did grab my attention but she looked like a cocktail waitress.
The queen was perfect (as usual!)
Kate was beautiful, but brown is boring for Christmas, me thinks.
Beatrice: ugh! Coat too short and the torturous shoes must have hurt!
Eugenie was OK, but nothing to write home about.
QEII looked great tho I probably would have liked the feathers to be softer on her hat. Bea I think looks atrocious in the hat and that coat. Eugenie looks radiant. Funny that you don’t like the scarf Kate has on – I really like it a lot and don’t think it’s old fuddy-duddy at all – I’m sure I have one very similar! but then I’m old!. I am not a big fan of brown however for fashion – we did so much frumpy brown in the later 40s-early 50s and again it was popular in the early 70s in clothing and home fashion – I’ve yet to warm up to browns again since. Kate’s coat does remind me of some of the maxi coats popular in the late 60s-early 70s.
I love the silk scarf. It’s a classic.
Agreed. Likely Hermes.
The shape of the Queen’s hat is not bothering me. In fact I love the bold colours, the shape and the contrasting feathers in her cap. She leads from the front again hat wise and everywise. I look forward to seeing the dress. I agree with Lindy Williams about the others.
Oh. I like the shape and colour of Eugenie’s hat but I am a little underwhelmed by the rest of her outfit.
I must admit I was disappointed with The Duchess of Cambridge’s outfit – she looked very dull! Also, Princess Beatrice’s dress was way too short – looked cheap! I thought The Queen looked better than anybody!