Queen Sonja of Norway and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands joined up to attend the opening of a new exhibit at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam (some of you may remember they also did this in Munich back in May). There appeared to be some behind the scenes fashion coordination as both women turned up in bumper hats in bright berry colours.
Princess Beatrix wore dark raspberry bumper hat with domed crown and tightly upfolded double brim, trimmed with large straw bow loops at the back. It’s a hat shape we’ve seen on her a hundred times yet stands out thanks to the warm and vibrant hue. Queen Sonja’s mangenta domed hat, clearly made to coordinate with her paisley suit, follows a more compact bumper shape. The ensemble sets off her pearls wonderfully but the amount of coordinated pink paisley has tipped over the edge here for me.
Previously Worn: I can’t find previous wearings
Designer of Queen Sonja’s Hat: unknown
Previously Worn: March 20, 2012
Royal Hats 
I’m not a fan of “bumper” hats. Princess Beatrix’ looks surprisingly good (usually I am reminded of a round of gouda cheese). Queen Sonja’s is terrible.
for me, Princes Beatrix can do no wrong. Also, no mater what one thinks of her fashion choices; she wears her clothes & not the other way around.
Princess has a customary look, and this is a nice version of it.
Queen Sonja, on the other hand, has different looks, and this is not a flattering one. Others have mentioned the overkill of pattern. The hat looks too small as well. The giant pearls, the ornate strap on the purse and the strap on the shoes just push everything about this outfit over the top.
Wow, Beatrix looks wonderful in this burgundy ensemble! She is able to pull off having this color in everything, even her gloves, bag and shoes! Unfortunately I can’t say the same for Sonja; having the hat match her outfit was not a good choice, nor is the shape/style of this hat flattering for Sonja in my opinion. She should’ve gone with something in black that has a brim; like if this hat (https://royalhats.wordpress.com/2014/12/27/norwegian-royals-celebrate-christmas/) had come in black, I think it would’ve much improved things. But there is no denying Sonja isn’t afraid of color and willing to try things, and I definitely give her points for that!
I am partial to a good bumper hat, but neither of these wow me. Princess Beatrix’s is just too big for this style of hat. I do love the color on her though, and her outfit looks elaborate, but she still manages to somehow pull it off. Her shawl and delicate jewels add great finishing touches. Queen Sonja of Norway doesn’t suit hats worn far forward. The basic hat is alright, but I don’t think she is the right person to wear this hat. There is an awful lot of pink going on, which over-powers her pale coloring. I think her giant pearls are just too much for this already busy outfit. So I am giving Princess Beatrix the win.
I agree with what TiarasRUs says: September 24, 2015 at 4:39 pm.
For me, this is one of Bea’s best. I completely agree with Hat Queen about the paisley overkill. I also find something seems off about this shape on Sonja, though I can’t put my finger on just what that something is.