The fourth day of the Cheltenham Festival yesterday was attended by Zara Phillips Tindall and her mother, Princess Anne, who presented the coveted Gold Cup. For this final day of racing, Zara chose her fourth new hat. Another cocktail percher hat with a tan beret style base, this piece is described by the designer as a “velour fur felt flat percher trimmed with flower of natural lady amherst and pheasant feathers and single swarovski bead in centre”. Brown hats, as we all know, can easily be bland and boring but the feather trim on this hat gives great dimension and movement. I think it is the perfect topper for her tweed coat.
Designer: Rosie Olivia. This is the Pandan design
Previously Worn: This is a new hat
Princess Anne topped her orange wool coat with a new faux fur hat and matching scarf. The ruched hat has a small rolled brim that from the front, looks like the first in a stack of fur bubbles. Bubbles aside, I like the duet of hat and scarf and thought they worked well with Anne’s bright coat.
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: March 24, 2008
Photos from Getty as indicated and Pete Goddard, Pete Goddard, Ramsey Cardy, Pete Goddard and Pete Goddard via Corbis
Royal Hats 
I think Mum and Daughter both look great. This look makes me love the Princess Royal! Sensible, warm, and looking good! I have liked Zara’s hats and outfits all week, overall. I like this hat, but I’m not crazy about it. There are just too many feathers and too widely spread. If the feather flower were proportioned differently, it would be a winner in my book.
Zara’s hats have all been good during the Cheltenham races, I think. When one sees close-ups, they looks super on her. However, I do think she has worn (understandably in an early English spring!) quite substantial coats that make her look chunky, and I feel bigger hats, perhaps with a brim, would have created a more balanced look for her overall.
After the winter we have had, I would love a hat like Princess Anne’s. Not a huge fan of Zara’s hat because I hate those feathers. Feathers aside, she is a beautiful woman and can wear almost anything and she looks amazing. She has done really well in the hat and coat department. Sle looks stylish and chic.
Guess my age is showing for I do not like Zara’s hat, another of those flying saucer things…..how can they be called hats when they don’t cover the head or actually really sit on the head except for a band of some kind. I do love her coat, that is really chic and so is the color. Now Princess Anne, love everything about her outfit, the color of the coat is gorgeous, so refreshing and bright and yes she can be seen from far away, her hat is perfect with the scarf, she looks so in the moment and at ease with herself. I really like this woman.
I am a milliner. I think your comments are offensive. There are many types of hats listed in the glossary on this website. Many styles do not have large brims but they are still considered hats.
Look at photographs of Queen Elizabeth in the 1950-60s. Her hats were often headpieces that covered part of her head. You would probably consider those hats. Could you please pay current fashion the same respect?
For all those saying that a cocktail hat isn’t appropriate for the races – you are out of touch. 100% appropriate.
i like Zara and almost always like what she’s wearing even today although it looks a bit spidery looking. Princess Anne and I are almost the same age, although I’m older, but she has grown to dress how she is comfortable – more power to her.
Zara’s looked fantastic on every outing to the races – makes me wonder why/how it was so wrong in Australia. If these Cheltenham choices and pairings are her own, she’d clearly be better off not using a stylist. Or, if this is the work of a stylist, stick with this one!
Princess Anne’s hat is very “her” and she looks comfortable in it (and warm). Good choice from her.
I think Zara has looked pretty amazing all week! Firstly the selection of coats she has continues to grow, with perhaps today’s choice being the fave, followed by day1 with the high neck. I think they suit her practical, no nonsense, keep warm, sensibilities.
Now to her choice of hats. I see a few comments regarding the suitability of her hats for a day at the races. As I am from Australia where our culture and climate are very different I shall respectfully leave that debate to those closer to the action, but suffice to say, to me, from a purely aesthetic viewpoint, they look just fine. I think Zara uses her hats as a means of expression- to show her extroverted happy colourful and sassy personality. I said in the March Who Wore it Best poll that I think she is one of the best Royal hat wearers simply because she looks so comfortable in her choices and carries them off with confidence aplomb and sass!! I thought the first one this week in particular was so very her….. indeed they all were. All so lovely to look at, fresh and nicely finished. Thank you, it’s been a lovely royal week.
Louise E you made some good points. I have been to races in Australia, UK and many other countries, and you see plenty of variety including hats similar to what Zara has worn all week and I think all her hats and clothes have been fantastic all week.
I don’t know how to post photos, but this reminds me of a fascinator Kate wore shortly after the engagement. She and William were on a joint outing, she was in a short beige trench that had a ruffle on the bottom.
While I like the idea for Zara’s cocktail hat, I’m glad I’m not the only one to get a little arachnophobia looking at it (thanks Jane!). If there were less feathers or if they were done up with less randomness, I would be 100% on board. The color, while usually quite boring for me, I think worked very well for all of Zara’s outfit. As for Anne, I’m just over these casual hats (do like her coat though).
Princess Anne looks appropriate for the occasion. I think it’s a pretty good look for her.
Zara’s hat goes nicely with her coat, but I’m not sure what occasion one should wear this hat to. The brown color of coat and hat are suitable for today, but the cocktail style percher looks out of place. I’m not sure what the appropriate place for such a hat in this color with that on top might be, however.
Cocktail hat out of place at the races? Seriously? What kind of races do you go to?
Zara looks good but this is my least favorite of the hats and coats she has worn to the Cheltenham Festival. The brown color doesn’t flatter her. I prefer her in larger hats. I don’t like the way she has just put her hair in a teeny ponytail with a visible elastic band. The Princess Royal’s hat doesn’t flatter her and will be going straight onto my shortlist for Least Liked Hats of 2015. I do like her orange coat.
Love the hat, but I wish the coat was a little better tailored!
I like the colors on Zara but still want to see her wear less cocktail size hats and move into larger ones. PA looks great
Hello Zara…..there is a spider on your head.