Monthly Archives: August 2015

Birthday of Princess Anne

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Royal HatsPrincess Anne, the Princess Royal, celebrates her 65th birthday today. Suggesting a hat for her to repeat this year is a tricky task, as the pieces in her millinery wardrobe are each worn many, many times (usually through several decades). There is, however, one piece we haven’t seen in a while that I would love to see trotted out again. Princess Anne wears petite hats so well and this one, in cream straw, has the loveliest upturned ruffle at the back. Despite its age (20+ years), I think it reads as a classic piece that looks great on the princess.

As we send our best wishes to Princess Anne today, what hat would you like to see her repeat in the coming year?

Photo from Getty as indicated

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hats Further proof that genetics runs strong in the British Royal Family- Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent and a young Princess Alexandra of Kent with the Duke of Edinburgh at the closing ceremonies of the London Olympics on this day in 1948. I see multiple generations of strong family resemblance in this photo- first, between Princess Alexandra and her mother and second, between Princess Alexandra and both Princess Anne and Zara Phillips when they were the same age.

Photo from Getty as indicated

Seeing Double: Queen Máxima

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Royal HatsDuring the Dutch monarch’s visit to Canada in May this year, Queen Máxima repeated an unstructured navy picture hat in loosely woven straw. The distinctively striped piece has a twin in lime green.

   Embed from Getty Images

 Visiting Aruba, October 29 & 31, 2011

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

In Japan, April 19, 2005 and in Canada, May 27, 2015

The brim of the navy hat is slightly larger and less smoothly shaped than the green one but the two are undoubtedly related. The green hat first appeared during the above 2005 visit to Japan while the navy hat had its début on the 2011 Dutch tour of the Caribbean (below right) –  just two days after Máxima repeated the green one (see top two photos). I find it most curious that despite a number of light straw summery hats to choose from in her millinery closet, Máxima chose two versions of essentially the same design to wear within a week, on the same foreign tour. 

What do you think of these relaxed straw hats?

Photo from Patrick van Katwijk via Corbis; Getty as indicated

Cathching Up With Sheikha Moza

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Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Sheikha Mozah have been travelling in France and Croatia over the past two weeks during which time the Sheikha has worn some beautifully chic summer hats. On July 29, the royal couple visited the hospital in Arles, France where the Van Gogh famously stayed in 1888 and 1889. For this visit, Sheikha Mozah wore a natural straw hat trimmed with a cafe au lait hued band and bow around the crown. A coordinating stripe beneath the brim finished the classic picture hat and tied it perfectly to her brown and green floral dress.

Sheikha Mozah, July 29, 2015 | Royal Hats

In early August, the couple toured an organic farm in Southern France. Sheikha Mozah topped her blue floral dress and navy jacket with a natural straw hat trimmed with a navy bow. The hat’s brim, which was turned up on one side and fell in relaxed waves on the other, is just the kind of chic piece one imagines wearing in the French countryside, I think.

Sheikha Mozah, August 2015 | Royal Hats Sheikha Mozah, August 2015 | Royal Hats

Last Thursday, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Sheikha Mozah arrived in Šibenik, Croatia where they were greeted by Her Excellency Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, president of the Republic. For their arrival, Sheikha Mozah topped her Ulyana Sergeenko couture ensemble with a black silk turban. 

Sheikha Mozah, August 6, 2015 | Royal Hats

Sheikha Mozah, August 6, 2015 | Royal Hats

On Saturday, the royal couple explored the historic centre of Šibenik, cruised around Visovac Island and toured Krka National Park. Sheikha Mozah wore a straw hat with square crown and cartwheel brim which was edged in an upfolded stripe of cream straw and trimmed with a cream silk band around the base of the crown. The darkened shade of the natural straw was a perfect compliment to the Sheikha and the pairing of the hat with her floral dress was perfect.

Sheikha Mozah, August 8, 2015 | Royal Hats

Sheikha Mozah, August 8, 2015 | Royal Hats

The couple concluded their Croatian visit in Rijeka where the Sheikha wore another Ulyana Sergeenko couture dress topped by one of her de rigeur matching turbans. While no one wears a turban better than Sheikha Mozah, I think her straw hats are so wonderfully chic. It’s lovely to see her in hats for a change, isn’t it?

Photos from Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned

Mikassa Princess Visits Yamagata

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Princess Akiko of Mikasa visited Yamagata Prefecture late last week where one of her engagements included presenting awards at the Japanese Chess Championship in Tendo City. For this event, she wore a pale pink cloche hat that looks to be trimmed with a bow on the side. We have not seen Princess Akiko in a cloche shape before and while I don’t think it is the best shape for her, I’m thrilled to see any hint of millinery experimentation in the Imperial family.

Princess Akiko, August 5, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I suspect this is a new hat

Photo from Yamagata News