Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel brought their young son, Prince Oscar, to the Royal Chapel in Stockholm’s Royal Palace this morning to be christened.
For this special occasion, Princess Victoria chose a white cocktail hat with straw beret base. Lavishly trimmed with white silk flowers that covers most of the base, the hat is completed with a wrap of widely woven white net tulle veil that encircles it. The veil gives a retro feel to the otherwise modern piece and the scale of it is excellent on Victoria. Paired with her exquisite white broderie anglaise dress and worn at just the right angle on the side of her head, the hat made for a beautiful ensemble. My only quibble is that in photographs, the hat reads more starkly white than the dress does, leaving us with a slight colour variation that I suspect was not visible in person.
Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Proud big sister Princess Estelle matched her mother in an all white ensemble with her first headpiece! A headband topped with a sidepray of silk leaves and flowers created the small fascinator which beautifully tied in with the flower and leaf print of Estelle’s dress. A sweet pearl necklace and a ponytail anchored with a white bow to completed her adorable look.
Queen Silvia matched her blush pink silk and lace dress with a headpiece in the same lace embossed fabric. While it looks like the piece is one of Silvia’ go-to calot shapes, photos taken during the service allowed a peek at the back which reveal it to be a wide circlet around the crown of her head. While I am usually not a fan of open crown designs, there is something about the movement of this piece and how it contrasts against’s Queen Silvia’s hair that makes it rather attractive.
Designer: unknown. Perhaps Fabienne Delvigne?
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new
Princess Madeleine, who was named as one of Prince Oscar’s godparents, topped her blush pink silk dress with a giant silk flower headpiece edged in delicate pink net. The scale of the piece is fantastic on Madeleine and her romantic hairstyle showed it off to complete perfection.
Designer: unconfirmed. My guess is Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new
Princess Leonore’s blue and white dress was topped with a sweet white double hair bow. She and her brother Prince Nicolas kept their parents busy during the christening but it was lovely to see them both included in the event.
Designer: LivlyPrincess Sofia topped her blue caped dress with a small hat in beige straw. While a neutral hat was a great choice for this dress, it was most unfortunate that the too-flat design of this mini pillbox shape left it looking like a pancake stuck on her head. Earlier this month, Sofia wore a lovely beige straw piece for the Chilean state visit and I think this design, with simple looped bow brim, would have been a better choice for her ensemble today.
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Prince Daniel’s mother Ewa Westling wore a cream cocktail hat with a round base in cream straw which was covered in straw bow loops, rosettes, slim feathers and pearl sprays. I always feel for her at these major royal events (it can’t be easy adjusting one’s ‘normal life’ wardrobe to include items for much-photographed royal occasions) and she looked great. This pair of grandmas clearly coordinated their attire and I thought that was a sweet touch.
Royal Hats 
I like Victoria’s hat – perfect for a spring christening – but not her dress. I LOVE Madeleine’s outfit, top to toe. The sleeves on her dress are a master-stroke. Sofia’s dress is lovely but her hat the opposite! Queen Silvia looks gorgeous (that colour really suits her) and Daniel’s family very smart. Good on them for getting it so right (cf the King’s sisters). The children are all looking cute.
I think Victoria was the best dressed of this group (and rightfully so!). Her cocktail hat is absolutely beautiful, and I really like her lattice dress, but in all the photos the whites are just a bit off; I’m blame the materials of the dress vs. the hat for this problem. The little fascinator for Estelle was very appropriate.
Silvia outfit was gorgeous, and the detailing is wonderful! I’ve never been a huge fan of the calots she favors (but this is a personal bias, not because I don’t think they look good), but this one is actually not flattering for her. Madeleine looked beautiful, but this glorified floral headpiece does not excite me. Sofia’s dress was absolutely stunning, and I like that she went with blue instead of white/beige/pale pink; unfortunately, this cocktail hat does nothing to enhance the ensemble. If the hat was more forward in a true percher style, and with a bow or floral decoration, then we would have an absolute winner!
Ewa Westling looked quite charming in her ensemble and it’s a great choice for someone who (almost certainly) rarely wears fancy hats. The photo of her hugging Estelle is fantastic! Also, is it just me or does she look like an older Miss Phryne Fisher? Anna Westling Söderström’s fascinator was nice, but it didn’t wow me.
Overall, my biggest complaint is the very obvious lack of color here.
Thank you for the spectacular photo spread–you found some wonderful shots. I enjoyed seeing Madeline with a kid propped on her hip in many of the photos; it seemed to say children come before princess-ing. A family affair, as you said. Her choices were fantastic across the board.
The netting on Victoria’s hat reflects back well, the lattice on her dress. I like the look of her ensemble a lot.
My favorite ensemble of the family members was Princess Madeleine’s. The flower fascinator is beautiful and was just enough for a dress made dramatic by its voluminous sleeves. I agree that her hairstyle was perfect and the flower was placed just right.
I would have liked CP Victoria’s hat better without the netting, but in any case I think it was too much altogether with her very busy dress. I thought the dress style was a bit juvenile for her. I also like it better when the mom wears a color that contrasts with the child’s christening gown, to better show off both of them.
I like Queen Silvia’s hat very much. She has found a style that works well for her. The pillbox variations are quite suitable for a mature woman and they don’t cover up the Queen’s hair. Her beautiful thick hair with soft waves frames her face so nicely.
I love Princess Victoria’s dress but I really don’t like that hat with it. I think a simpler hat would have been better and not compete so much with the dress.
If I’m honest, I don’t like any of the other hats. Princess Madeleine looks beautiful and I like her flower piece on her but I don’t like it on its own if that makes sense. So much net veil today!
Madeleine was fabulous all around. Victoria’s dress is one of the most glorious things I’ve ever seen. So gorgeous. I just wish she’d left the veil off the hat. I think with just the flowers it would have been great, but the open veil competes with the dress IMO.
So many lovely hats today! Veiling can look too costume-y, but I thought it was just right with the flowers on CP Victoria’s cocktail hat. The sculptural swirls on Queen Silvia’s calot add interest to her standard style. Princess Madeline wears these floral headpieces so well. This one is almost as good as the magenta she wore for her own son’s christening last year. And little Estelle is on her way to being a world-class royal hat wearer!
Looking forward to your posts on the guests, HatQueen, since CP Mary’s picture hat may turn out to be my favorite of the event.
Lovely photos of a happy occasion. Really, I thought everyone looked wonderful, with the exception of Princess Sofia’s hat, which at least should have been a pale blue or white pancake if it was going to be a pancake, and the thought that the crown princess’s hat and dress together left the impression of too many little lace squares. (Nonetheless, she looked very beautiful and supremely happy.) The new prince looks a good deal like his sister, who also looked charming. I hope she enjoyed her beautiful little headpiece–her aunt Madeleine’s headpiece was beyond praise.
I liked everything. Several pink dresses and almost the same shade. The blue dress with the wee hat was a bit of a miss.
The family has grown quickly… 5 little ones I think.
Princess Victoria’s hat is very good. I also like the headpiece of Princess Madeleine. Not so much the others.
I want to ask a question about the music that maybe someone can answer. The song sung by the soprano and the piano only can anyone explain this? I think I have heard this before.
Also, why was the German national anthem sung for a Swedish royal service?
I think I can help here- the song you mention is called Vilar glad. I din famn (Resting happily. In your arms) and was commissioned in 2010 for Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel’s wedding. The music is by Benny Andersson (of ABBA fame) and the text is a poem by Kristina Lugn. You can read an English translation at post #336 here at the Royal Forums. It is clearly a special song for Victoria and Daniel and was also performed at Estelle’s christening in 2012.
As for the German national anthem- English writer John Newton wrote a hymn to the same tune in 1776 entitled “Glorious Things Of Thee Are Spoken”. You can read the text in English here– this hymn, in Swedish, was used in the christening service today.
My! Those children are adorable and a couple of them look like a real handful. CP Victoria looks very lovely and happy and Madeleine is gorgeous. There was a predominance of white, ecru, blush and various shades at that end of the scale which makes everything run together in a muddle in my head! Sofia’s “pancake” is memorable, though not for perhaps the best reasons!
Victoria: nice hat but what’s with all the fishing net? LOVE her dress
Estelle: cute but the headpiece was too much. She’s just a little kid!
Silvia: Meh. Love the pic of her lifting up Estelle for a better look
Maddie: FABULOUS
Leonore: cute
Sofia: that flat pancake is so sad
Daniel’s mom: don’t like her hat but that pic of her hugging Estelle is SUPER CUTE.
Daniel’s sister: super chic.
I agree with all of your hat opinions. I also think the photos of Princess Estelle with her grandmothers are absolutely adorable. It’s nice to see the personal side of the royals like that.
Princess Madeleine is jaw-droppingly beautiful. Princess Victoria looked really happy.