Monthly Archives: May 2016

Queen Celebrates School Annivesary

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Queen Elizabeth was in Berkhamsted this morning to take part in the 475th anniversary of Berkhamsted School of which she is Patron. For this event, she repeated a magenta straw hat that we have not seen in several years.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

The piece an upturned brim on one side which follows the same agle as its sloped crown. White and pink straw bands encircle the base of the crown, lending further graphic effect, and the piece is trimmed with white and magenta straw loops on the side and a pair of magenta feathers. The piece is all about contrast and balance (both, executed to perfection) and after fearing it had been retired, I’m tickled to see it on Her Majesty again today as it is fantastic on her.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: June 4, 2011; June 17, 2009
An interesting note about this ensemble- when the Queen first wore the coat and dress during a tour of Turkey in 2008, it was paired with a different hat. In lighter pink straw, the design featured a tall, flat crown and mushroom brim, both wrapped in dark pink silk. Wispy white feathers and a dark fuchsia flower finished it off.
 Embed from Getty Images
The earlier hat has many markers of an Angela Kelly design (although its origin is unconfirmed). Between the two pieces, I much prefer the punchier lines of the Rachel Trevor Morgan design Queen Elizabeth wore today. What do you think?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Best Repeated Royal Hat: April 2016

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2016 best repeat small

We’re continuing to narrow down the top royal hats of 2016 by choosing our favourites pieces every month. With so many new hats worn in April, there were just give repeated designs that stood out to you on the basis of your comments, dearest readers. These lovely pieces are shown here in the order that they were worn.

Click on any of the photos below to jump back to original posts with additional pictures and information on each design:

1.Queen Máxima, April 13, 2016 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats   2.Queen Máxima, April 21, 2016 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

Queen Máxima’s bright pink straw slice hat by Fabienne Delvigne worn April 13 in Germany
Queen Máxima in a coffee coloured straw slice hat (also by Delvigne) worn April 23

3.Queen Mathilde, April 28, 2016 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats   4.2016-04-30 Carl Gustaf 70th birthday 26   5.2016-04-30 Carl Gustaf 70th birthday 25

Queen Mathilde in a printed grey silk calot with straw twist worn on April 26
Queen Margrethe’s pale green bumper hat with curling brim detail worn in Sweden on April 30
Queen Mary in a purple pillbox with feather trim by Jane Taylor worn April 30

Voting will remain open until Monday, May 16 at midnight GMT and each computer or mobile device may vote once per day for as many hats as strike your fancy. To avoid unnecessary influence, results will remain hidden until the poll closes. Happy voting!

Photos from Sven Hoppe, Michel Porro, Samir Hussein and Julian Parker via Getty and Kurt Desplenter via Belga

Best New Royal Hat: April 2016

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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.Queen Sonja, April 4, 2016 | Royal Hats Queen Sonja, April 4, 2016 | Royal Hats   2.Zara Phillips Tindall, April 9, 2016 in Rosie Olivia | Royal Hats

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.Queen Elizabeth, April 20, 2016 in Rachel Trevor Morgan | Royal Hats  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.Princess Hisako, April 30, 2016 | Royal Hats  6. Queen Silvia, April 30, 2016 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats  

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.Crown Princess Victoria, April 30, 2016 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats   8.Princess Madeleine, April 30, 2016 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats   9.Princess Hisako, April 30, 2016 | Royal Hats

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

Dutch Remembrance Day Oberserved

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The King and Queen of the Netherlands presided national remembrance day services held in Amsterdam yesterday. For this event, Queen Máxima wore a new pleated turban hat in black velvet. This photo by Yvonne Van Woudenberg provides a close-up view of the piece. It’s a simple piece that fit the tone of this occasion and I thought  Máxima wore it well.

Designer: Bronté Amsterdam. It is the Jasmijn turban in black velvet.
Previously Worn: This hat is new
I don’t suspect we’ll see this hat named among our top favourites this month although it is a well crafted piece and I really like the volume and height it achieves around Máxima’s crown (as opposed to a more form fitting, helmet like turban design). What do you think of this new piece?
Photo from Getty as indicated

Duchess of Cornwall Attends Service of Thanksgiving

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On Tuesday, the Duchess of Cornwall attended a Service of Thanksgiving at St Margaret’s Church to celebrate the life of for former Chancellor of the Exchequer and Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe (Lord Howe of Aberavon) who died last October. For this service, she repeated her black straw hat with tall, squared crown, raised brim on one side and simple bow trim. It is a more streamlined design than Camilla usually wears (a nice change for her, I think) but the textural weave of the straw gives it a decidedly more informal feel that seems a little at odds with such a formal dress and coat. This hat’s last outing saw it paired with a less formal, ruffled collar dress– a pairing I think worked more successfully.

Designer: Lock and Co.
Previously Worn: October 2, 2014; September 11, 2014
Maybe I’m nitpicking here- what do you think?
Photos from Getty as indicated