Yearly Archives: 2015

Swedish Monarchs Open Exhibit

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Last Friday, King Carl Gutaf and Queen Silvia opened an exhibition on the life, paintings and art collection of Prince Eugen (this year is the 150th anniversary of his birth) at the Waldemarsudde in Stockholm. For this event, Queen Silvia accessorized her pale pink suit and lace blouse with a dark clutch purse and fur calot hat. The contrast between the suit and sable brown hat was unexpected but provided a welcome wintertime context to the pastel ensemble. Fur calots will never be included on my list of most favourite royal hats but I think this one worked very well for Queen Silvia. What do you think of this hat and its pairing with this ensemble?

Queen Silvia, February 6, 2015 | Royal Hats

Queen Silvia, February 6, 2015 | Royal Hats

You can read more about this event at the Swedish Royal Monarchy website. 

Photos from the Swedish Royal Court

This Week’s Extras

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The Countess of Wessex completed Arctic survival training in Finland this week (Royalista)

Henry VIII’s hat returned home in remarkably good condition (Royal Central)

We’ve seen a gallery of Princess Estelle’s hair bows- now it’s her mum’s turn (Svenskdam)

I REALLY want to see this John Boyd hat on a young royal head (John Boyd)

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Sweet photos of the Emperor and Empress of Japan on vacation (Imperial Family of Japan)

According to GQ, only 48 men in all of Britian dress better than Prince George (Vanity Fair)

Interview with Archduchess Kathleen of Austria (Northern Kentucky University via Luxarazzi)

Princess Mabel opened an art exhibition. It’s wonderful to see her looking so well. (Royalista)

Great article on the Duchess of Kent (Royal Central)

Princess Alexandra of Kent at Service of Thanksgiving

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Princess Alexandra and the Duke of Kent attended a Service of Thanksgiving celebrating the life of the late Sir Jocelyn Stevens at St Paul’s Church in Knightsbridge yesterday (Sir Jocelyn Stevens, a magazine publisher and newspaper executive, passed away in October, 2014). For this memorial, Princess Alexandra wore a midnight blue felt hat with straight-sided, domed crown and slightly upturned brim. The hat was trimmed with a slim blue velvet bow tucked inside a pair of silk rings and a swath of navy net veil. I thought the colour was beautiful on Alexandra and while the shape of this hat is quite strong, she carries it very well.

At first glance, I thought this was a new hat as the shape seems quite current and this shade of navy blue dominated several hat collections this year. Imagine my surprise when I realized it dates back until at least 1997 (although the net veil appears to be a more recent addition). Very few royal hats stand the test of time as well as this one. I have long admired Princess Alexandra’s classic taste and this hat further proves the timelessness of her millinery style.

Princess Alexandra, February 5, 2015 | Royal Hats  Princess Alexandra, February 5, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously worn: November 20, 1997

Photos from Getty as indicated. Click on each photo to link with the original source. 

Queen Máxima Opens Vocational Education Initiative

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Queen Máxima of the Netherlands was in Almere yesterday to lend her support to the opening of ‘Almere On Stage’, an interactive program that provides knowledge of vocational and education possibilities to high school students. For this event, Maxima debuted a new calot hat. Made of an open weave fabric combining the colours of her tunic and skirt, this calot was covered in long folded ‘leaves’ that wrapped around the circular hat. These leaves provided lovely movement and dimension to the hat and unified each element of the ensemble. I also thought Queen Máxima wore it to great effect, placing it slightly off centre around her chignon and choosing small but vibrant earrings. It’s a modern hat that fits so well with the modern way Máxima wears hats to daytime engagements.

Queen Máxima, February 5, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats Queen Máxima, February 5, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

Queen Máxima, February 5, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats   Queen Máxima, February 5, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: this is a new hat

This makes me wonder, dear readers- if 2013 was the year of the toque hat and 2014 was the year of the pillbox, is 2015 shaping up to be the year of the calot?

Photos from Albert Philip Van Der Werf and Patrick van Katwijk via Corbis; Patrick van Emst / Pictures News via Paris Match; and Patrick van Katwijk via Corbis

 

Birthday of Crown Princess Mary

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Royal HatsCrown Princess Mary of Denmark celebrates her 43rd birthday today and I’m sure you all join me in wishing her our congratulations. As we do on royal birthdays this year, I have been thinking about which one of Mary’s past has I would like to repeated this year. While one of your five most favourite royal hats of 2014 was her beautiful purple pillbox, my pick is a different purple hat- this lilac straw picture hat with gently fluted brim. Trimmed with a removable spray of pale pink straw orchid petals, I think this Susanne Juul design makes for a perfect royal summer hat.

Which one of Princess Mary’s hats would you like to see her repeat before her next birthday?

Crown Princess Mary, August 3, 2009 in Susanne Juul | Royal Hats

Crown Princess Mary, August 3, 2009

Photo from MSN.dk