With a big birthday celebration, several foreign visits, spring races and Koningsdag, April a busier month for royal hats than previous ones this year. While we saw numerous new pieces, there were a handful that stood out to you, dearest readers, and it’s now time to choose a favourite. I need to also offer an apology here- one hat completely slipped my radar but is such a lovely piece that I have gone off script and included as the fifth hat below.

Here are our favourite nine new royal hats worn last month, shown here in the order they appeared. Click on the pictures below to jump back to original posts with additional photos and information on each hat:

1.    2.

Queen Sonja in a red lattice pillbox on April 6 in Italy
Zara Phillips Tindal in a Rosie Olivia designed ecru straw beret percher with feather trim on April 9

3.  4.

Queen Elizabeth in a pink flowered hat by Rachel Trevor Morgan worn on the eve of her 90th birthday, April 20
Queen Máxima in a pale lilac picture hat with mushroom brim by Fabienne Delvigne worn on April 27 for Koningsdag

5.  6.   

Princess Hisako in a small taupe hat with cream striped trim worn to depart for Sweden on April 28
Queen Silvia’s pale pink picture hat by Philip Treacy worn for the King’s birthday, April 30

7.   8.   9.

Crown Princess Victoria in a white straw hat by Philip Treacy for her father’s birthday on April 30
Princess Madeleine in black and white percher hat with rose trim by Philip Treacy worn April 30
Princess Hisako in a sunny yellow silk hat with white pleated brim worn in Sweden on April 30

Voting will remain open until Monday, May 16 at midnight GMT and each computer or mobile device can vote once per day for as many hats as you wish. For added suspense, results will not be visible until the poll closes. Happy voting!

Photos from Franco Origlia, Elisabetta A. Villa, Max Mumby/Indigo, AFP/Justin Tallis, Netherlands Royal Pool, UK Press/Julian Parker, Luca Teuchmann, Samir Hussein; Luca Teuchmann via Getty and NHK