Monthly Archives: August 2015

Birthday of Crown Princess Mette-Marit

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Royal HatsCrown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway celebrates her 42nd birthday today! As we send her our best wishes for her health and happiness, it’s also an opportunity to suggest a hat for her to repeat in the coming year. My choice is a pale pink Fabienne Delvigne design in gossamer straw with an unfinished brim that broadly curls up on one side. The rough edge on the brim gives lightness to the piece that I think works so well for the Crown Princess. What hat would you like to see Princess Mette-Marit bring out again this year?

2007-05-17 National Day

Crown Princess Mette Marit on National Day, May 17, 2013

Photo from Patrick van Katwijk via Monarchy Press Europe

Inventory: The Duchess of Cornwall’s Ecru, Ivory and White Hats

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Duchess of Cornwall turns to cream straw hats as her summer millinery staple and, as in years past, we have seen her wear several this season. A number of you have curiously inquired about Camilla’s cream/ecru/beige hats, inspiring me to introduce a new feature. Here are all the hats in this category in her millinery closet:

1.Embed from Getty Images  2.  3.
Designer: all Philip Treacy
Introduced: July 2, 2002; June 1, 2004; April 9, 2005

4.Embed from Getty Images 5. Embed from Getty Images 6.
Designer: all Philip Treacy
Introduced: May 8, 2005; June 11, 2005; June 14, 2005

7.Embed from Getty Images   8.Embed from Getty Images 9.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: unknown; Philip Treacy; Philip Treacy
Introduced: March 23, 2006;  April 23, 2006; June 19, 2006

10.Embed from Getty Images 11.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: both are Philip Treacy
Introduced: June 20, 2006; June 18, 2007

12. 13.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: both are Philip Treacy
Introduced: June 19, 2007; June 20, 2007

14. 15. Embed from Getty Images 16.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Lock & Co.; Lock & Co; Philip Treacy; Philip Treacy
Introduced: August 2007; April 22, 2009; June 16, 2009; July 20, 2010

17.Embed from Getty Images  18.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: both are Philip Treacy
Introduced: July 20, 2010; June 3, 2012

19.  20.Embed from Getty Images  21. Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Lock & Co.; Philip Treacy; Lock and Co.
Introduced: August 12, 2012; November 5, 2012; November 9, 2012

22.Embed from Getty Images  23.  24.Embed from Getty Images
Designer:  all Philip Treacy
Introduced:  June 18, 2013; October 23, 2013;  March 10, 2014

UPDATE: Since this post was published, Camilla has added four additional designs:

25.Embed from Getty Images  26.Embed from Getty Images  27.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: all Philip Treacy
Introduced:  June 18, 2014;  June 20, 2017;  May 22, 2018

28.Embed from Getty Images 29.  30.2019-07-06 Archie's Christening 2 250
Designer:  Philip Treacy; Philip Treacy; Lock and Co.
Introduced: June 19, 2018; June 3, 2019; July 6, 2019
31.
Designer:  Philip Treacy
Introduced:  May 11, 2021
Camilla also has two cream hats with navy trim that warrant inclusion here:
CN1.Embed from Getty Images  CN2.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: both are Philip Treacy
Introduced: July 20, 2005; September 17, 2017
Putting this lineup together, I was surprised how many have similar scale, shapes and brim curves (the only anomaly is the felt leaf trimmed #24). I’m glad that the dramatically sloped and curved crowns of hats from a decade ago are mostly out of use- the lines seem a bit harsh for Camilla – and I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the ruffle trimmed upsweeps (#12 & 17) that seem like they would be so much fun to wear.  When you look at this group of hats, dear readers, what do you notice?
Photos from Getty as indicated; Getty Images, Chris Jackson, Tim Graham, via Getty; Pacific Coast News via Corbis; WPA Pool and David Davies/PA Images via Getty

Princess Hisako Presents Rubber Ball Championship Cup

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Last Wednesday, Princess Hisako of Takamado attended the  All Japan Junior Rubber Ball Championship (similar to baseball, this sport is played with a rubber ball called a nanshiki, which is lighter than a regular baseball and does not travel as far). Princess Hisako presented the Takamado Cup (named after her late husband Prince Norihito, a longtime supporter of sport) in light straw summer hat. Similar to the piece she wore at the boat cutter races in early August, this piece featured cut outs of wide, open-weave straw on the upturned brim and around the top of the crown. The hat was simply trimmed with several flat curling bows made of straw.

Princess Hisako, August 12, 2015 | Royal Hats

This is much more casual hat than we usually see worn by an Imperial Royal and makes me curious, dear readers- what do you think of it?

Photo from Sankei

British Royals Celebrate VJ Day Anniversary

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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.

Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: June 8, 2014

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.

Designer: Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: June 5, 2012

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.

Designer: unconfirmed. My guess is Lock & Co.
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.

It looks like a lovely day was had by all (see a larger photo gallery over at the Daily Mail). Did any of these hats stand out to in particular?
Photos from Getty as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Royal Hats

Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived at Balmoral last weekend to begin their annual Scottish summer vacation (Daily Mail). The Queen wore a Rachel Trevor Morgan hat for her arrival and  her cream straw hat with lattice brim for Sunday Service at Crathie Kirk (The Press & Journal).

Princess Camilla of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was her usually colourful self this week in Saint-Tropez (Svenskdam)

Infanta Elena at a bullfight in  – you guessed it – her light straw Panama hat (Hola)

Royal Hats

Shock waves from Romania as King Michael strips Prince Nicholas of his title and place in succession (Telegraph). Sentiments toward the young man seem to have changed dramatically since Crown Princess Margarita wrote kindly about him in this chapter of his book, The Road Home.

Two interesting articles Princess Anne here and here released for her 65th birthday today (Macleans & The Telegraph)