Yesterday, members of the British Royal Family celebrated the 70th anniversary of VJ Day (the date of surrender by Japanese Forces which formally ended World War II). Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attended a service of commemoration held at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London. The Queen repeated her white straw hat with tall crown, wrapped in the same bouclé fabric as her suit and trimmed with a pink silk rose. While the hat coordinates well with Her Majesty’s lovely suit, the use of the thick fabric trim on the hat doesn’t work for me, still.
The Countess of Wessex wore a hat I have been hoping to see again- the navy straw percher hat trimmed in gold feathers that she first wore for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving in June 2012. This hat has a wonderful sense of movement and I thought its pairing with her Emilia Wickstead frock with navy pinstripes was so very smart.
The Duchess of Gloucester repeated her slate grey straw beret and matching coat dress. The coat has a slight military feel and the ensemble felt most appropriate for this commemoration.
Previously Worn: June 18, 2015; June 15, 2015; November 6, 2013; June 19, 2013; June 5, 2012
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall attended an outdoor service at the Horse Guard Parade and a Royal British Legion reception held in the College Gardens of Westminster Abbey. The Duchess repeated her mint straw hat with ‘slice’ diagonal brim trimmed with wide jinsin ribbon curls. The placement of the trim is most interesting although I think the piece might benefit from placement a little further back on Camilla’s head.
Royal Hats 
The Queen looks lovely, though I will say that the boucle outfit looks a tad wintery for August. However, I live in the Southern U.S., so I realize the climate is different in the U.K.
I think both Camilla and Sophie look terrific.
Camilla’s hat is flattering with its upswept lines, and I love the color and modern cut of her dress, with just a bit of lace adorning the neckline. And you can’t go wrong with a 3/4 length sleeve. She looks fresh and appropriate.
And props to Sophie, who has developed so nicely over the years. Rarely do we see a true fashion calamity from her. I love her smart, elegant dress, expertly tailored to exhibit the fact that she’s clearly getting plenty of exercise! I think the hat is very smart as well. I love the feathers. If it were me, I would see if I could get the hat with interchangeable feathers-for example, deep green, blue or red ones–to make it even more versatile. Personally, I like her chignon. I love the twist and it doesn’t seem messy to me.
I actually really like this hat for HM; it’s the lace detailing on her coat I find odd. Sophie’s hat and outfit look great on her, but I’m not so thrilled about them together; the worst part for me is her hairstyle, which does her no justice when viewed from the front. Birgitte’s ensemble was appropriate for the event, but I’m over it having seen it so many times. Finally, it’s great to see Camilla bring out this hat again; I think we get a better idea of the color and detailings compared to Ascot, and I love it all the more now.
When your hat needs a sweater…
Sorry I do not understand?
Jumper? HM’s hat looks like it is wearing a warm outer layer…
Hahaha! That’s awesome!
Sophie looks fabulous but she needs to find another hairdresser, her chignon is abysmal (too long, too low, too untidy).
I always love seeing the D of Gloucester even if she does always wear the same thing. I love the D of Cornwall’s hat from some angles and other angles leave me scratching my head. NOTHING leaves me scratching my head as much as that monstrosity of the Queen’s. Sometimes I sit in a meeting looking around me and think “these people walked into a store, saw that, and spent their hard-won cash on it. I feel exactly the same about that hat.
Does this poor monarch ever stop working? I thought she and the Duke were on holiday in Scotland. I am glad the terrorists did not get a chance to kill or injure anyone at this solemn ceremony.
I love to see the queen in pink, but the pink boucle on the hat was too heavy. I wonder if putting the lace that we see on her suit would have added a lighter touch. She still looks elegant, as always. I am not of fan of Sophie’s pairing of the navy hat with this dress. While I really like her dress, I thought it looked better with the white hats she wore at Ascot. This navy hat seems better suited to an autumnal outing. Camilla always looks good in her signature large hat. She wears pale colors so well. I thought the taupe lace around her neckline and on the bottom of the dress was just beautiful. Overall, the three ladies looked lovely for such a solemn occasion.
I still love Camilla’s and Sophie’s hats, and they pair beautifully with their outfits. I must say the thing that surprised me about the list of dates when the Duchess of Gloucester has previously worn that hat was how few they are – it seems like we see it all the time! But I guess there’s its twin in another colour too, isn’t there? But yes, it’s such a very distinctive hat shape I would appreciate it if she put it away for half a decade and tried something new!
I’m not a fan of the Queen’s hat. I don’t mind the boucle fabric – it hasn’t been particularly warm here in the last week or two, so with its light colour, it doesn’t seem unseasonal to me. However, I just can’t like the fact that the hat has the untrimmed upper portion – having the straw visible at the top just makes the fabric trim look heavy and inelegant. I think I’d prefer it if the fabric covered the whole thing.
Having spent some time in London in recent times, I do wonder about Her Majesty’s choice of tweed. I just don’t get it. The other ladies look much more appropriately dressed (and hatted). It reminds me of hearing about the late Queen Mother, in sweltering Washington DC in 1939, requesting a hot water bottle. Her maid, apparently said, “My lady likes to sleep warm.” Perhaps her daughter has inherited her “cold blood”!
HM’s hat is confusing to me. The hat material is very summer, light and airy. The fabric trim looks to heavy and warm to be on a summer hat. I like that she wears shorter jackets occasionally, but if it was a hot day, her whole outfit was too warm for comfort. Sophie looked terrific in her stripes and lovely hat. Wish someone had done a neater job on her hair, but it doesn’t take away from how lovely she looks. Camilla’s hat looks great from the side, but the rolls in front look like they drag her hat down in front. Even though her dress and hat were nice and summery, Camilla herself looked very hot and uncomfortable
They all look fine. So nice to see the Queen not wearing a coat. Sophie’s hair is a bit messy. Wondering how warm it was.
What a surprise to see the Queen in London (in August, that is). Was this on some published calendar?
I like the purplish-pink bouclé suit, and I think the hat, worn slightly to the side, looks a little better this time than it did at its debut last year in Paris, when the flower looked totally like a miner’s light. Removing that flower would be worth a try, though, and maybe just stopping the hat at the top of the bouclé fabric would help, too.
The Countess of Wessex looks stunning.
Sophie’s hat looks like a deflated football. The feathers are nice but the shape is weird. I like the Queen’s hat but I agree the fabric is too thick. It looks like a piece of carpet wrapped around it. Camilla’s hat is all right but the twists in front are too much. If they were tucked behind the brim comig off the side it would be much better.
I like the boucle material of the Queen’s outfit and love that it is a suit, not one of her coats. The hat looks like two hats put together. Sophie looks good but her chignon could benefit from being rolled around something to give it more shape and bulk. Her hat is fine.
The Countess of Wessex stands out for me. The hat provides both an accent and texture to the ensemble, while honoring the simplicity of the coat dress. Speaking of which, I think the coat dress is just exquisite. It is beautifully made and tailored to fix perfectly. I love the shine of the fabric. Which leaves me to a question for the HatQueen: how does someone like the Countess acquire her clothes? Do they come from better stores or directly from designers? Are they usually bespoke or from a collection? Would she actually go “shopping” herself or are items brought to her? Would she employ someone (perhaps not full time) who helps her select clothes?
I agree with what Christina says: August 16, 2015 at 10:03 am about the Countess’s clothes and hat. I rad that her chef is now her stylist and helps select her haute couture. See link.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/552688/Sophie-Countess-of-Wessex-turns-50-promotes-personal-chef-to-fashion-stylist
I have seen photos of her leaving Bruce Oldfield’s store. See link.
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=sophie+wessex+at+bruce+oldfield+shop&biw=1536&bih=711&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CBwQsARqFQoTCJeD_rGOr8cCFcjUgAodgtMFOg#imgrc=yX1enDfvHl2_UM%3A
I still don’t hate this titfer on HM, the colour and texture I like, but the lace is still wonky.
Sophie’s hat is fab (it’s like a Robin Hood vibe which I love) but I’m afraid I don’t get the pairing with the graphic suit. This needs a monochrome modern hat.
Birgitte. Please go shopping.