Millinery News and Designer Updates

The Royal Hats Blog

The lovely Becky Weaver, Editor of HATalk e-magazine and founder of www.hatalksocial.com contacted me this week to share an exciting piece of millinery news. Some of you know that the first ever London Hat week is scheduled for March 6-12 and there are a number of exciting hat-related events that will take place during this time. Becky wanted to make sure all of the wonderful readers here knew about one of these events:

The Official Charity Partner of London Hat Week is Brain Tumour Research and we are going to be holding a special prize draw to fundraise for them. The tickets only cost £5 and the first prize is a Philip Treacy hat, the second is a Rachel Trevor Morgan hat and the third is a limited edition brooch designed by Vivien Sheriff. You can find out more by going to www.justgiving.com/londonhatweek.

Philip Treacy

First Prize Philip Treacy designed picture hat

Rachel Trevor Morgan Vivien Sheriff

Second prize Rachel Trevor Morgan designed cocktail hat; third prize Vivien Sheriff designed brooch

We will talk more about London Hat week during the first week in March. I really hope one of you wins one of these amazing hats! Now for some royal hat news: I was able to confirm with the amazing Fabienne Delvigne that these two hats worn by Queen Máxima  are both her design.

Queen Máxima, February 12, 2014 in Fabienne Delvigne | The Royal Hats Blog Queen Máxima, Nov. 11, 2013 in Fabienne Delvigne | The Royal Hats Blog

Queen Máxima attending a symposium on February 12, 2014 and presenting an award on November 12, 2013

Fabienne Delvigne also confirmed that the red hat worn by Queen Mathilde last week in Germany was also her design. The pink pillbox Queen Mathilde wore on her visit to France was, not surprisingly, Dior.

Queen Mathilde, February 17, 2014 in Fabienne Delvigne | The Royal Hats Blog Queen Mathilde, February 6, 2014 in Dior | The Royal Hats Blog

Queen Mathilde in Germany on February 17, 2014 and in France, February 6, 2014

Photos from Patrick van Katwijk via CorbisMetro Nieuws ; Belga via LaVenir; and Patrick van Katwijk via Dutch Photo Press

Princess Anne in St. Petersburg

I have a few royal hats to catch up on today, a poll to close and some design updates- stay tuned for a busy hat day!

First up- While in St. Petersburg last week, Princess Anne attended the opening of the new Tensar manufacturing facility. She wore one of her trusty fur hats. I’m not a great fan of these hats but I must admit, they are perfect for her visit to Russia.

Princess Anne, February 14, 2014 | The Royal Hats Blog Princess Anne, February 14, 2014 | The Royal Hats Blog

Photos from Photoagency Interpress and Photoagency Interpress via Corbis

Belgian Sovereigns Visit Italy

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium paid a one day official visit to Rome yesterday.

Embed from Getty Images

For this visit, the final stage of a tour to the founding countries of the European Union, Queen Mathilde wore another new hat. This calot, worn off to the side of her head, was covered in the same fabric as her Armani coat and featured a wide twisted ribbon tail.

Embed from Getty Images

While the scale is great on Queen Mathilde, I think the same fabric on both the hat and coat made the overall look one-note and flat.

Embed from Getty Images

 Designer: Philip Treacy (see this pair of very similar designs)

What did you think of this hat?

Photos from Getty as indicated

Belgian Royals Attend Memorial Mass

Members of the Belgian Royal Family attended an annual Mass at Église Notre-Dame in Laeken, Belgium yesterday to commemorate the lives of deceased Royal Family members. Queen Mathilde wore a new chocolate brown felt calot style hat with a large spray of leaves on the side. This is not a colour we have seen her wear very often and I thought it was a great millinery look for her

Queen Mathilde, February 18, 2014 | The Royal Hats Blog Queen Mathilde, February 18, 2014 | The Royal Hats Blog

Queen Mathilde, February 18, 2014 | The Royal Hats Blog Queen Mathilde, February 18, 2014 | The Royal Hats Blog

Designer: unconfirmed. Likely Fabienne Delvigne

Queen Paola wore a tall classic black rounded pillbox hat. The way she wore this new hat, back on the crown of her head, allowed her white hair to create the most marvelous contrast with the hat and I thought she looked very, very chic.

Queen Paola, February 18, 2014 | The Royal Hats Blog

Princes Marie Esmeralda (younger half-sister of King Albert) wore a wide navy blue fabric headband was trimmed with a large medallion on the side. I suppose I like it, although I would have love it if it had been a full-blown pillbox hat. Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein (niece of King Albert, the daughter of his sister Grand Duchess Josephine of Luxembourg) wore what looked to be a sedate, flat black pillbox.

Princess Marie Esmerelda, February 18, 2014 | The Royal Hats Blog Princess Margaretha, February 18, 2014 | The Royal Hats Blog

Princess Léa (wife of King Albert’s late half-brother Prince Alexander) wore a wide headband in light brown fur. I am not usually a fan of headbands of any type but I must admit that this one, paired with a matching wrap and Léa’s flowing blonde hair, was ski-bunny glamour at its best.

Princess Léa, February 18, 2014 | The Royal Hats Blog Princess Léa, February 18, 2014 | The Royal Hats Blog

Which one of these royal hats was your favourite? You might want to compare the hats worn at this same event last year.

Photos from Patrick van Katwijk via Dutch Photo Press

Milestone Birthday: Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie

Princess Stéphanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg celebrates her 30th birthday today. Since joining the Luxembourg Royal Family in 2012, we have seen Princess Stéphanie in just six royal hats.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
In Fabienne Delvigne for Princess Estelle’s christening on May 22, 2012
At the Dec 29, 2012 wedding of  Archduke Christophe of Austria and Adelaide Drapé-Frisch

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
At the Dutch Enthronement, Apr 30, 2013  and at the Sep2013 wedding of Prince Felix and Claire Lademacher 

  

National Day June 23, 2013 and the closing procession of the Octave of Our Lady of Luxembourg, May 5, 2013

My favourite is the pale blue brimmed design for National day last year, above. Which design stands out most to you? What styles and millinery would you like to see Princess Stéphanie try?

Photos from Getty as indicated; Patrick van Katwijk via Dutch Photo Press; Rene Scho