King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium welcomed German President Joachim Gauck and his partner Daniela Schadt to Brussels yesterday for the first of a three-day state visit to Belgium.
For the official welcome, Queen Mathilde repeated the dove grey straw rounded pillbox with knotted bow trim on the back. The first time we saw this piece, it topped and elegant but slightly bland monochrome ensemble. Today, Mathilde paired it with an exquisite sea foam green and grey patterned coat and green dress. The pairing might be a subtle change from the original but one that balances the simple hat beautifully.
Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: June 12, 2016
What do you think of this repeated piece on Queen Mathilde today?
Photos from Didier Lebrun/Photo News S.A./Corbis, Didier Lebrun/Photo News S.A./Corbis, Wolfgang Kumm/dpa/Corbis, Patrick van Katwijk/dpa/Corbis, Patrick van Katwijk/dpa/Corbis, Patrick van Katwijk/dpa/Corbis, Patrick van Katwijk/dpa/Corbis, and Didier Lebrun/Photo News S.A./Corbis
Royal Hats 
I like the overall outfit but in the close ups the hat does seem slightly too small. Great colour though.
I like the pillbox style of hat on Queen Mathilde but this one seems a tad too small, and a little far back on the head, and it makes me feel nervous that it might fall off. This shade of grey works well with her colouring. So does the sea foam green and grey patterned coat, which adds more interest to the overall presentation than the all grey she wore last time.
I see there’s another Ruth commenting, so I’ll be Ruthtoo. I love this hat on Queen Mathilde with both of her outfits. Maybe if it were a tad bigger it would look like it fit better or more snugly over the back of her head, and less like it was about to fall off.
I am on team Jackie O elegant! A very nice twist on a pillbox hat. On the other hand I did not like Daniela Schadt’ s hat. It looked like she just plopped it on her head and is more ready for a hike than for a state visit. The rest of Daniela’ s outfit looked very nice.
I really like this hat, but then I am rather partial to pillboxes. Gray is quite flattering on Queen Mathilde’s ash blonde hair and really brings out her blue eyes. I thought the pairing of the gray and green was a great idea. I like the cut of her coat and dress. I also liked the outfit she wore with the hat last time, though I concede that HatQueen was correct when she said that a pop of color would have improved her last appearance. Daniela Schadt’s brimmed hat is also very good on her. The size, angle on her head, and proportions are spot on.
She looks Jackie O elegant here. Coolly elegant, which is a look she just does so well… That coat is fabulous, and the hat an understated counterpart to it.
She looks lovely, once again. Great hat.
I’m not a big fan of pillboxes, but Queen Mathilde looks lovely. I like Ms Schadt’s hat much better!
Lovely hat and ensemble. I also liked the outfit she wore in 2015. I found it subdued, but not at all bland. I would like to see the hat worn slightly more forward on the head though. Mathilde looks uncomfortable, holding her head tipped forward as if she feels the hat is about to slip off the back of her head or something.
Love her look especially the coat!
Absolutely lovely!
I’m going against popular opinion and saying I liked Mathilde’s hat better the first time. I don’t like how she styled her hair this time, and the folds/pleats/whatever you call them on the upper part of her dress aren’t the most flattering. I do adore her coat though!
Personally, I think Daniela Schadt won here. Her hat, while not the most exciting, was an excellent shape for her and coordinated perfectly with the rest of her outfit.
Utter perfection. Sigh…….
The Queen’s whole ensemble is lovely. Also Ms. Schadt looks great in her hat. There appears to be a little color coordination going on between the two ladies!
Such an elegant woman. She knows how to wear a hat!
So elegant.