Queen Mathilde Awards Queen Elizabeth Music Prize

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Royal Hats

Queen Mathilde of Belgium was at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo this morning to present awards to winners of the 2015 Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition. For this function, Queen repeated a headpiece we have not seen in nearly three years. Some of you might remember this shell-inspired piece in rosy-beige pleated straw from its first appearance at the Hereditary Grand Duke and Duchess’ wedding in October 2012. While I was not initially complimentary of this piece, I’m doing an about face thanks to today’s pairing with Queen Mathilde’s white eyelet dress and a less bouffanted hairstyle. While this headpiece is still is a little reminiscent of an underwater creature or folded napkin, it dresses down with a summer dress and neutral accessories so much better than it ‘dressed up’. Seeing it like this enables me to appreciate it for the pretty piece that it really is.

Queen Mathilde, June 2, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

View image | gettyimages.com

Queen Mathilde, June 2, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: October 20, 2012

We have seen the young queens of Belgium and the Netherlands experiment widely with brimless daytime hats and I think this piece’s organic and creative shape makes it a success. I adore that Queen Mathilde and Queen Máxima have both embraced daytime hat wearing and admire the personal spin and modern style they both place on this tradition.

Photos from Getty as indicated; Christophe Licoppe, Christophe Licoppe, Christophe Licoppe, Christophe Licoppe and Christophe Licoppe via Corbis

Day Two of Indian State Visit To Sweden

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Royal Hats

Queen Silvia used the second day of the Indian state visit to Sweden yesterday as an occasion to début a new hat. The calot hat, which looks to be made of straw, was clearly custom dyed to match the Queen’s turquoise silk dress. We often see Queen Silvia in hats the same hue as her clothing and while this approach to hat wearing often creates a one-note, boringly matchy ensemble for other royals, Silvia carries it off well. Why? I think the keys are hair and hat shape. Silvia’s dark hairstyle creates enough contrast between hat and outfit, especially when the hat is a pillbox or calot style worn on the back of her head. This monochrome approach to daytime royal dress does not work for everyone but Queen Silvia seems to have it down to a successful science.

Queen Silvia, June 1, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Photo from The Swedish Royal Court

Dutch Monarchs Visit Washington

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Royal Hats

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima continue their visit to North America this week with stops in several cities in the United States. For their day in Washington D.C. today, where their itinerary centred around a visit with President Obama at the White House, Queen Máxima repeated a classic black and white dress, pearls, and her black open-crowned headpiece. While I have not offered many compliments for this silk-covered piece in the past, something about its pairing with this dress and jewellery within this context (during a heatwave in a country known for informal fashion, where hats are seldom worn) somehow makes sense.

Queen Máxima, June 1, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

View image | gettyimages.com

Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: May 29, 2013; April 30, 2010

What do you think of Máxima’s open topped hat today?

Photos from ISP Pool and ISP Pool via Corbis and Getty as indicated

Swedish Royals Welcome Indian State Visit

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Royal Hats

The Swedish Royal Family welcomed Indian President Shri Pranab Mukherjee yesterday for the start of a three-day state visit. Crown Princess Victoria met the Indian delegation at the Stockholm airport in a new picture hat. Made of blush pink straw, the hat featured an unusual off-centre peak atop the crown, a mushroom shaped brim and a signature Treacy looped bow trim at the side. Philip Treacy’s SS 2015 collection features a number of hats with this distinctive peaked crown shape, a shape that feels new and very creative. The crown’s more masculine shape contrasts well with the hat’s traditional brim and provided the edginess needed to keep Victoria’s all pink ensemble from looking overly sweet.

Crown Princess Victoria, May 31, 2015 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats

Designer: Philip Treacy. I believe this hat is a bespoke piece similar to OC-904 from SS 2015
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Queen Silvia topped her royal blue suit (not purple, as it shows below) with a coordinating calot hat trimmed with a spray of feathers at the back. Calot hats are such a complimentary shape for Silvia’s hairtstyle and the feather trim gave this one some light hearted personality. The colour is beautiful on Her Majesty and her printed blouse pulled the ensemble into perfect balance. It’s a good look for Silvia, don’t you agree?

Queen Silvia, May 31, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: Kerstin Carlefalk
Previously Worn: This is a new hat

Prince Carl Philip and his fiancée, Sofia Hellqvist, joined the group for official photos. Sofia wore pale pink fascinator bow with feathers around the back of her chignon (you can see a great view of it here). This is a pretty enough piece that seems fitting in her not-quite-royal-yet role. I hope after she officially joins the royal family on June 13, she will retire these small fascinators in favour of more substantial millinery pieces.

Swedish Royal Family, May 31, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown. My guess is Malinda Damgaard.
Previously Worn: I believe this is a new fascinator

Photos from Sören Andersson / TT and Kungahuset.se via The Swedish Royal Court; HOP/Newspix and HOP/Newspix via Corbis

Catching Up With the Danish Queen

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Royal Hats

On May 23, Queen Margrethe visted Herlufsholms, the oldest boarding school in Denmark, to commemorate the school’s 450-year anniversary. Along with attending a service to mark the anniversary, the Danish Queen unveiled a new sculpture in Nyhave of artist Eva Steen Kristensen, inaugurated the newly renovated central Red Square and launched 450 red balloons. For these festivities, Queen Margrethe repeated the mint green bumper hat she first wore at her 75th birthday celebrations in April. It remains a great hat for her and I thought the addition of her patterned scarf added some much needed pattern to her all-green ensemble.

Queen Margrethe, May 23, 2015 | Royal Hats