One of our favourite royal hat wearers, Queen Elizabeth, celebrates her 89th birthday today. As we do on royal birthdays, we are going to surround our best wishes for Her Majesty with suggestions of hats we would most like to see her repeat in the coming year. After intense deliberation, my pick is her famous Wedgewood inspired hat in porcelain blue with white lace trim. I love the delicate feel of this hat, its classic simplicity and its perfect shade of blue. Since it hasn’t been seen in public for nearly a year, I think it’s high time for another outing. What hat would you like to see the Queen repeat this year?
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
Hatqueen sorry for the late reply, don’t you agree that the hat for Lady Sarah Chatto wedding although simple is effective.
I have done some more digging and possibly found the closest to a HatTwin for the 1977 silver jubilee bells worn in 1985 to Invernes, Scotland
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/the-queen-in-inverness-wearing-a-hat-by-milliner-frederick-news-photo/52101312 Hope it shows up . Have you seen this?
I have also found the pink/grey hat worm regularly in the 1990s http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/the-queen-with-prince-philip-and-prince-charles-in-news-photo/52100519
A fantastic pillbox worn at the 1998 Commonwealth a Games
The pillbox I spoke about with giant ruffles – there may have been a twin
A purple picture hat worn in Malaysia
I also forgot to mention the beautiful simple hat worn to Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones wedding – do you have a photo of it, as well as similar shaped picture hat (pink and grey) worn to France in the 90s. Do you have photos of these?
Here is the hat worn at Lady Sarah Chatto’s wedding. It is a beaut.
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I can’t find a pink and grey hat you describe but she did wear the very same hat as above in France for the 50th anniversary of D-Day in 1994. Is this the one you were thinking of?
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No it is not but I have found it and attached picture above but won’t show up in comments
It’s best to embed Getty photos- that ensures they show up. Here is the one you referenced.
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A lot of great hats here. Philip Somerville made some beauties. However, I don’t think any other designer can touch Rachel Trevor Morgan. Her new hats for the Jubilee in 2012 are the best QE has ever worn. I’m happy anytime she repeats one of these.
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I love the Wedgewood hat and the pink one with the rose. But I would love to see Lilibet wear the blue one from her golden jubilee.
I read your blog every day now for over a year. Keep it up please! I love it so much.
I think you are referring to this hat. I have always admired the textured, woven brim on this piece and the colour is perfect on the Queen.
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I think this is one of her best hats ever and the colour is perfect for her.
In 2004 I was in London and a family member invited me to Imperial College where they worked for an opening the Queen was going to attend. She wore the most elegant blue grey and straw hat with a pale blue suit. I still remember seeing her as if it was yesterday.
What a wonderful anecdote. It took a bit of searching but I think this is the hat you described.
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If you had blocked out the face on this hat I would have guessed it was worn by Qeen Beatrix. It looks much more like her hats than Queen Elizabveth’s hats!
Yes, that is it. Thank you so much for finding it!
Such fun! I wish QE wore more pillbox hats. Can’t remember the last time she wore one.
Aside from the giant fur ones in the winter, I think the last true pillbox for Her Majesty was way back in 2002
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I liked the pillbox hats for both Princess Anne’s first wedding and Charles and Diana’s wedding as well as two with large ruffles at back. Can’t find good photos though, sorry!
Here is the hat at Princess Anne’s wedding in November 1973
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and at Prince Charles’ first wedding in July 1981
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I like this hat very much but I do think the Queen looks best in brimmed hats. However, it’s always nice when she strays from the usual.
Just to say how much I’ve enjoyed people’s suggestions and for mentioning several hats that I’d either forgotten or never saw. I must say it makes one reel to think of how many rooms in Buckingham Palace must be filled with hatboxes! I know they are carefully packed, but still, it is a great feat that the Queen is able to wear some of these (with flower or feather trim etc) several years later in such perfect condition. Then again, I suppose we would never get to see any that don’t survive in good shape!
Soooo hard to choose from what must be the world’s largest hat wardrobe. Here are three of my favorites.
A picture hat from a 1950s tour of Australia:
Her blue hat at Prince Andrew’s wedding:
And perhaps my all-time favorite, her hat from Princess Anne’s christening:
These are three very different hats, but quite timeless. The Queen looks so good in blue, it always brings out her blue eyes so well. She was quite slim on her Aussie tour and wore the fitted fashions of the day very well.
Her Majesty always looks good in pastel colours but I think the rich purple outfit she wore for the opening of the first Scottish parliament was outstanding
I think you are referring to this one?
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I loved this hat and it was one of her most adventurous looks. She suited the purple color also.
I’ve seen this photograph before, but the outfit is so untypical Queen Elizabeth: (1) purple gloves rather than the standard black, white or occasional tan, (2) hat feather is black, the color usually included simply to match her black accessories since black is not in dress or coat but (3) shoes and *small* handbag are tan instead of black. I suspect that there must be purple dots or something in the dress fabric. Otherwise I don’t see what made someone design this coat for this dress.
It IS a spectacular hat, though, especially with the black feathers blowing in the wind.
I quite liked the pink Frederick Fox hat with the bells on it, and the pink outfit she wore at her 1977 Silver Jubilee celebrations.
I loved this hat and the entire outfit. The Queen looks so good in pink. I wish she would wear some smaller hats for a change, though I do think she looks taller and more broad-shouldered in brimmed hats, and I guess she also wants sun protection as a lot of her events are outdoors. This little hat was good on her and I loved the 25 bells to mark her 25 years on the throne on it. I doubt she will repeat this one, as it was one for the history books.
I also like this hat which looks like it may have been inspired by the dark blue Wedgwood.
HatQueen I agree that I would like to see the Queen in the Wedgewood inspired hat in porcelain blue with white lace trim. I actually went to the Wedgewood factory in England many years ago. That blue Jasperware is so stunning and so quintessentially English. I just wish there was a bit less lace trim on the coat, because it distracts the eye too much from the hat. perhaps if they took the lace off the sleeves, the looks would be less fussy.
I love the Wedgewood hat. I also love the white lace hat she wore last summer for the opening of the Commonwealth games.
https://royalhats.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/queen-elizabeth-opens-commonwealth-games/
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Yep Joanne, I enjoyed this one too. Love the texture and the wide upturned brim. Thanks.
Today’s edition is FUNNER than April Fools Day 3 weeks ago! Thanks, Hat Queen.
Like many out there, I couldn’t just pick ONE!
I know I’m in the minority, but I think this one is just done-right FUN!
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Finally, an absolute beauty, and not that old, I think!
http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imgad?id=CICAgKDT8MXPbRABGAEyCMP1aLLQ7uhZ
Sorry, the last one is obviously wrong!
I agree. IMO, it’s ugly!
I like the first hat in the duo above but the second looks way over-trimmed.
Thanks heaps HQ and contributors. These are some great hats. One of my all-time favorites is this one.
Queen Elizabeth, Oct 29, 2013 in Rachel Trevor Morgan, pictured on The Royal Hats Blog. Queen Elizabeth visited the Ebony Horse Club & Community Riding Centre in Brixton.
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I agree with what TiarasRUs says: April 22, 2015 at 1:08 pm, this is one of the Queen’s best hats ever. Rachel Trevor Morgan seems to know how to do trims just right, without them looking too fussy and overwhelming for the petite Queen.
Also one of my all-time favorites!
This is one of my absolute favoriteist hats EVER.
I like so many suggestions here and would like to add this one.
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You’re spot on here – this is such a chic look – those colours are excellent on her.
Baxter has this suggestion this too, and I agree. I have remembered this hat for years. Both the hat and the coat look so “sturdy” somehow. I love the color and slope of the underbrim.
I agree with what Eliza says: April 22, 2015 at 12:54 pm. This is another of my favourite hats and coats and brooches on the Queen.
Lovely, I don’t recall seeing this. Do we know when and by whom anyone?
Queen Elizabeth wore it for her 80th birthday in 2006. The photo above was taken in 2007 in Wales. I suspect it was designed by Philip Somerville.
What great choices these all are! Her Majesty looks great in all of them…
I don’t know how to bring up a picture……but my favorite hat has always been the pink hat draped in fabric. It kind of looks like an ice cream cone twist.
Marti- if you find the picture, just copy the URL here and it should come up automatically. Or, you can describe the hat (as you have done) and I can usually find it in my library. No worries!
I think this is the hat you are referring to? Such a pretty piece. The sense of movement in this hat really is amazing.
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Yes, that’s it! Thank you so much for posting this one. It is so feminine and pretty.
Thanks HatQueen, this is one of my favourites among the Queen’s hat collection. The colour flatters her colouring so well, and the soft twists of fabric are so feminine. I also adore this coat, and think she looks so much better in collared coats, and the brooch is magnificent (which I think is the Carrington).
This is my 11 year old son’s favourite! He loves it.
Another winner, and I am not normally partial to pink.
This is my second favoriteist hat ever! I guess coming late to the comments has its advantages LOL
Wishing HM many, many more happy years!
I can never just pick one, so here it goes:
1. This lime Philip Sommerville creation: http://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/queen-elizabeth-ii-opens-the-refurbished-ministry-of-news-photo/52116520.
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2. This black and lime beauty from her 2008 visit to Turkey: http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Queen+Elizabeth+II/Hayrunnisa+Gul/Queen+Duke+Edinburgh+During+Their+State+Visit/fuDKhTOAO_l
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3. The pink hat with swirled fabric she wore on her visit to the UAE/Oman (and I think she wore it at Ascot a few years ago too).
4. The silver and pale blue hat she wore to the UN in 2010.
(Sorry, couldn’t find links for all of them.)
No worries! Here is the famous pink hat from the 2010 Oman trip and the silver and blue Angela Kelly design from her New York trip, also in 2010
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Excellent! Thanks a million HatQueen!
I love the pink hat, dress and brooch from the Oman trip. I have never liked the fussy trim on the silver and blue Angela Kelly design from her New York trip, nor the flounces on the suit. It was too much going on .
I’ve never been especially fond of that suit worn to the UN (AK put a lot of ruffles on virtually everything on the Canada-US trip), but I love the hat. I liked the hat again when the Queen wore it in Australia with a full-length coat that covered up the UN suit.
(I love your other 3 choices completely!)
I think what Jake says: April 22, 2015 at 10:12 am, is right in connection with the 2 lime and black outfits and hats. The green really flatters the Queen and the proportions are just right. Philip Sommerville made some very elegant hats for the Queen.
This black and lime green combination from the 2008 visit to Turkey is incredible! What a bold choice of colours for HM only 7 years ago- Wow!! The green pleated trim on the sleeves and the neckline is very striking and the hat a clean, sharp contrast. Any ideas as to the designer of the suit and/or the hat?? I hadn’t seen this ensemble before so I’m absolutely gobsmacked. I don’t like HM in Black and White but I DO like her in this. Thanks Jake.
The Queen can wear almost any colour and that makes a big difference. I smiled at each hat here. I do not smile at the hats worn over the last couple of years. I so wish for a change for the Queen.
One thing that has nothing to do with hats…look how sweet Princess Eugenie is in the background of one photo.
Happy Birthday Queen Elizabeth we love you.
I love the Wedgewood hat. This one is my favourite of all time. I wish she wore more romantic picture hats.
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I would like to see two repeats. The common denominator, obviously, is the rarely worn color combination: black and white, The first outfit was worn on her US visit in 2007, the second from her visit to Slovakia in 2008.
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/queen-elizabeth-ii-of-england-is-welcomed-by-u-s-president-news-photo/112963401
As far as I know, neither outfit was repeated after its initial (and only) wearing.
For some reason I don’t see my second link from above, from her visit to Washington DC.
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/queen-elizabeth-ii-of-england-is-welcomed-by-u-s-president-news-photo/112963401
The image you chose does not have the option to embed (Getty can be a little persnickety about such things). Here is another shot of the hat you suggested. It’s a little curious that the Queen has not worn this one again, isn’t it?
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The DC outfit and RTM hat is one of my favorites as well. I have seen video footage of HM also wearing it to church at Balmoral.
I agree with what Baxter says: April 22, 2015 at 1:42 pm. I think the DC hat and outfit is one of the Queen’s best looks yet!
Here are some of my favorites. Although they haven’t been worn for many years and a couple might be a bit dated now, Her Majesty’s recent wearing of a hat which hadn’t been seen in over a decade gives me hope.
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I agree with what Baxter says: April 22, 2015 at 6:08 am. This is a great collection of hats. I also love how cute Princess Eugenie looks in her little pink headband with the bow and the pink outfit.
The second ensemble is just lovely; what an exquisite, beautifully fitted coat, complete with a very simply adorned, perfectly matched hat. Love it.
I know it’s very unlikely, but who would like to see the hat worn at Prince Andrews wedding or something similar?
I also think it’s unlikely but it was the most beautiful hat
She wore a twin of this style, also in blue.
This hat had another twin. – I think it was white with blue underneath and a blue flower – I wonder if there were any others!?
It took me a while to find it, but I think this is the one you are referring to.
http://www.lbc.co.uk/sixty-pictures-from-the-queens-sixty-years-55571/view/25607
I like this series of hat types on the Queen, and I thought the hat and the entire outfit she wore to Prince Andrew’s wedding was one of her best looks ever.
Thank you, that is it! We’re there any more in the series, or in different colours? Looks great on Queen.
I don’t think there were others. It seems to me, however, that Angela Kelly has taken this hat as an inspiration for several of her designs in recent years.
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I have done some research and found a similar hat – possibly a twin. Please reply to let me know if you have seen it?http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/queen-elizabeth-ii-visits-the-isle-of-man-8th-august-1989-news-photo/141661582
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/queen-elizabeth-ii-with-her-back-to-the-camera-wearing-a-news-photo/115967684
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Great catch! That is most certainly another twin. That’s 4 hats in this style… so far.
Think I have found a 5th twin of this hat from 1989!! It is the 8th if you include more recent 3. Is this the hat with most twins excluding fur hats and casual hats?
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Now I think that this may actually be the 2nd hat but just looks different colour in the light?
There seems to be a blue theme here. Do you mind me asking how far back your archive of royal hats goes?
May I add to the question: Approximately how many hats are in the closet?
Well there’s a lot of choice! For me it needs to be something seldom seen but which hit the right note. The red number worn in Canada for the national day celebrations in 2010 was just that – it’s Fabulous! I hope it gets rescued from the back of the closet soon, she’s been in the mood to revive some old faces recently I’ve noticed!
I think you are referring to this one?
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That’s the one – love it!
I don’t normally like this shape on the Queen but somehow it works here and goes with her outfit.