As we continue our inventory of blue hats in Queen Elizabeth’s millinery closet (jump over here for Part 1 and here for Part 2), we’re going to look at hats within the turquoise/teal spectrum. Her Majesty has worn a surprising number of turquoise hats over the past six years and this group includes the greatest diversity of shape we have seen so far. Here are these hats, in the order they were introduced into service:
1A.Embed from Getty Images1B.Embed from Getty Images 2.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: unknown; Rachel Trevor Morgan
Introduced: June 26, 2007 (renovated and reintroduced June 30, 2014); Apr 9, 2009
3Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images 4.
Designer: Angela Kelly; unknown
Introduced: June 18, 2009 (renovated and reintroduced October 10, 2011); July 21, 2009
5.Embed from Getty Images 6.Embed from Getty Images 7.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Angela Kelly; Angela Kelly; Rachel Trevor Morgan
Introduced: April 16, 2011; April 21, 2011; May 18, 2011
8.Embed from Getty Images 9.
10.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan; unknown; Angela Kelly
Introduced: October 19, 2011; October 20, 2011; May 19, 2012
11.Embed from Getty Images 12.Embed from Getty Images 13.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Angela Kelly (made by Stella McLaren); Angela Kelly; Angela Kelly
Introduced: June 25, 2014; October 16, 2014; June 23, 2015
14.Embed from Getty Images 15.Embed from Getty Images 16.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Angela Kelly, Angela Kelly, Rachel Trevor Morgan
Introduced: November 28, 2015; April 13, 2017; April 16, 2017
UPDATE: Since this post was published, The Queen has added the following new designs:
17.
18.
19.
Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan; Angela Kelly made by Stella McLaren;
Introduced: July 24, 2017; August 26, 2018; May 12, 2019
20.
21.
Designer: both are Angela Kelly made by Stella McLaren
Introduced: July 1, 2021; July 8, 2021
I usually love the Queen in blue but turquoise? Not so much. Many shades here are so vibrant that they cast a harsh, almost neon glow onto her Majesty which is less than flattering. Quibbles about colour aside, the shapes here are so interesting. The indented crowns(#5 and #12), marshmallow bubbles (#1), unusually tall stovepipes (#6) and exaggerated angles (#3 and #9) show just how adventurous Queen Elizabeth is when it comes to trying new hat shapes. That alone is something to be greatly admired.
What do you think about the Queen’s turquoise hats?
Photos from Bauer Griffin; Tim Rooke/Rex Shutterstock; Peter Jolly/REX/Shutterstock; Steve Parsons/PA Images, JANE BARLOW/POOL/AFP; and Scott Heppell – WPA Poo via Getty; Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
1st-hat 2
2nd-hat 14
3rd-hat 10
Thus far, this is my least favorite collection of HM’s hats. Like most, I favor #14, along with #2 and #8. The rest I’m ambivalent about. The colors are good for HM, but there are too many avant-garde hats here that don’t do her so many favors unfortunately.
Hat number 14 is my favourite hat of the group. The shade of blue is the most flattering. I wish the coat had a collar, and that the flowers were rotated a little more to the side, as HatQueen suggested previously. The brooch is the very best part of the outfit. The next best is hat 2. I am not a fan of the rest of this group.
I think 7 &8 are my favorites, and I also like #14. For most of them I would say to Ms Kelly, ‘Put down the glue gun!’
Amen!
#14 and #2 are my favorites! #8 is lovely, also.
I don’t know where I’ve been, but #s 4, 6, 9, and 11 are ALL newbies to me! Maybe they were worn but only once?
Imagine roaming Buckingham, and traveling “Hat Hall,” where the doors are labeled “turquoise room” or “medium blue room.”
I’m looking forward to peaking in the “light blue room.”
Hat #6 too is a re-make from this original worn in Slovenia
My favorite by far is hat #2. That whole outfit is wonderful! I also like 7, 8 10, 11 and the recent 14 from Malta. Although they’re that usual flat crown/flat brim hat, both 10 and 11 have such beautiful texture on the crown. #5 rarely has been worn, and I would like to see what dress goes with it.
I know that anti-matchy-matchy types always complain about dullness when the hat matches the coat, but I think 9 and 13 above look ridiculous. If you’re going to have a hat of a completely different color, then it should not be a saturated solid color if the coat’s a different solid color. To me it looks as though these two hats are from the wrong outfit. The coordinating trim obviously indicates the designer’s intention, but I think these outfits look less polished and less professional — and that’s the look the Queen always has go to for.
Remakes of 1 and 3 helped but not enough, and I think hat #4 is hopeless.
I agree completely. I think #9 descends to just not attractive. The colors just don’t mesh and the angled top just too Mad Hatterish.
I’m quite sure it’s not a remake/renovation but an entirely new hat made to go with this suit.
Doubtlessly so. I should have been more precise in what I wrote (and thought).
As far as I know, this new hat’s been worn only once, though, something that seems to have happened with several of the Queen’s new or remade hats. After all that time locating the original fabric or recutting, etc., I would think that the “new” item would be worn repeatedly.
I can only find record of this hat being worn once (same with #5 and #9). I suppose that like the rest of us, the Queen has her favourite outfits and returns to those.
At the risk of being unfairly critical of Angela Kelly’s designs, I can’t help notice that the Rachel Trevor Morgan hats are worn again and again while the same is not always true for some of Kelly’s hats.
I am on team match! I agree with you about the matching hats looking or making the entire outfit look polished and professional. #2 & #14 especially demonstrate that and I would add #7 & #12 to that list.
You certainly have to hand it to the Queen, to be able to wear all these hats with aplomb. I actually wouldn’t be caught dead in any one of them. But on her I like best 2, 8, and 14. I think the smaller sizes are more suitable to such a petite figure. I agree that her outfits are very festive, and they help her stand out in a crowd.
somewhere there must be a space where all these hats are , a huge building, a bunker , Hermione Grangers purse or a shredder, so so many hats, I wonder where, to me a mystery.
#2 is interesting if only for the fact you rarely see the Queen in black (or black trim). Interestingly, it seems we rarely see her bundled up for cold weather the way she is in this photo. It is nice seeing her with the scarf et al. And, pardon me for straying off topic, but I’m very intrigued by the large brooch she is wearing on her coat in the photo of #2. I think it might be a carved emerald.
Which brings me to a question for all you hat aficionados – why don’t we see HM wear brooches on her hats more often? For example, in #6 the hat is trimmed with what looks like an interesting turquoise brooch. I would think with the incredible collection of brooches at her disposal that her hat designers might ask to use a brooch as a hat embellishment more often.
I agree! I love a brooch on a hat. What better trim or decoration than diamonds and precious stones! Maybe HM prefers to wear her brooches on her coats rather than her hats, but it would be nice to mix it up more often.
I agree with what Chicago Chuck says: February 1, 2016 at 7:31 am. I would really like to see the Queen bring out more of her enormous collection of brooches and use some as hat decorations.
Goodness, where did she get these hats? What an (ahem) ‘interesting’ selection. Number 14 is the best, in my eyes, and possibly #2, but I’m not sure about its height or shape. I would humbly suggest HQ that #3A and B are, in fact, white hats…
Number 2 is one of my all time favourite HM hats, and hers too as its been frequently worn. I’ve always thought that turquoise textured number (6) should have come out to play again, I find that one rather festive. There certainly is a lot of variety here isn’t there!