Princess Beatrice returned for the third day of Royal Ascot today in a jaunty straw boater hat in dark cornflower blue and orange straw.
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Fiona: Oh dear, where do I begin! I fear this hat is just not right with her outfit. The clean finish on the hat is such a difficult one to get right here and unfortunately it is not spot on but I do admire the designer for the effort. I also like the brave placement of the hat, totally horizontal, Beatrice can carry this well. The hat would have suited the queens outfit better – it certainly does not work with the dress. I do however love the French navy dress, but it is unfortunate that there are so many visible creases.
Jill: I distinctly remember how much I disliked this hat last year and I feel the exact opposite this year! The boater looks fresh and clean with her dress (which I love) and it is very youthful. The color blocking and wide edge on the brim is finished so perfectly. My only complaint is I think I would have liked to see her wear it with a bit more of a perch, rather than straight on. I am curious to see how everyone else feels about the hat this year!
Royal Hats: Jill- Beatrice wore a different orange and blue hat last year! I can’t imagine why one needs two blue and orange hats… but that’s another discussion. I like this design although it’s very linear and I’m not sure it’s the best shape for Beatrice. I do love the wide stripe of orange piping on the underside of the brim.
Christie: The Princess does love her blue and orange! From a technical perspective, it’s not easy to do a sinamay crown in one piece, and it’s finished beautifully so I commend the milliner that made this. As Princess Beatrice has a round face, I feel that angles compliment her much better than the round piece that she wore last year. In saying that though, I would like to see this hat angled and with a trim, particularly as there is not much texture in her outfit. This hat really doesn’t matche her outfit at all, so I’m guessing it was just a last minute purchase and not a custom designed piece. She could make it work if she pulled some fun orange and blue Sophia Webster’s shoes perhaps?
Designer: Laura Apsit Livens
Previously Worn: This hat is new
That makes two orange and blue straw hats for Princess Beatrice in two seasons of Royal Ascot! What do you think of this new design on her today?
Royal Hats 
I think it’s fun! It has some Spanish flair and I love her dress!
Not a flattering outfit & hat. Is she still in school?
I like the outfit as a whole but it is very tame for Ascot especially for Beatrice. I do think the outfit might have seemed more cohesive if the dress had some bit of orange on it.
Oh this is not good. That hat does nothing for her, and the dress is a bizarre shape. Her hair is all over the place too. Why Beatrice why?! I tihnk she might have been buoyed by the success of the orange and blue hat from last year, but this is not a good evolution of it.
The hat could be cute but that dress is just weird.
Here’s an interesting twist- the designer, Laura Apsit Livens, also attended Ladies’ Day in the same hat as Princess Beatrice but in bright pink. She placed it at an angle and I think it works. I actually think the pink hat (with pink shoes and a purse) would have worked better for Beatrice than the orange and blue one
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I’m with you, HatQueen. The color and position are so much better that I can see the possibilities in this hat.
Oh dear, where does one begin. Her make-up is good, her hair is good, love her dress. But her hat, dear me! If it was worn at an angle, would that have made it better?
I agree! I love her hair especially but the hat hides it
I like the outfit, although feel the top is over-large for Beatrice – but hate the hat with a vengeance. Certainly there’s a disconnect between the outfit and hat that seems inexplicable (and you know I’ve said the same things about Eugenie but in reverse!).
I feel very underwhelmed. For Ascot and Ladies’ Day, I was hoping for something extravagant from Beatrice.
Just too squat/flat. The dress with a different hat would probably warrant a✔️. The hat with a different dress, may-be, just!! But the two together✖️. Shame, Beatrice is a pretty girl and has had some nice looks. Thanks.
Oh dear.
Lot of orange and blue on this day.
Not a fan of either the hat or dress. The hat is perched on her head horizontally and I can’t say this flatters her. The dress is heavy, too textured, and reminds me of more of a winter dress than a summery one. Not Beatrice’s best look.
I don’t get this at all. It looks so drab.
It’s nice that she color coordinated with Granny!
Definitely my least favorite of the day. This look is especially disappointing considering it’s Ladies’ Day. This bolero-style hat is very boring sans trim and a tilt on the head, even if the colors are some of my favorites. And it definitely seems to not go with this dress in any way. Her headpiece from William & Kate’s wedding would’ve been fantastic with this dress (don’t deny it, it was crazy for the wedding, but very deserving of Ascot glory haha).
I find the dress terribly unflattering and I do not like the hat with it. Ungainly.
BIG miss to Princess Beatrice who really needs a good stylist! I also hate all the hair just everywhere! Burn the hat and give the dress to charity!
I absolutely adored the orange and turquoise hat with that white dress last year! Don’t care for either the hat or the dress today. You have to hand it to Beatrice for her willingness to experiment, though!
I really like this hat and her curling hair underneath. Somehow though I don’t care for the dress at all. The top half feels very heavy to me, especially with those loose sleeves.
Totally agree. She looks rather Edwardian.
I agree with Edie-I’d really have liked to see her play up the Edwardian aspect a little more: neater hair, rolled into a big Gibson tuck under the back. She’s got the high-waisted skirt going, so if the top of her dress was a bit less heavy and a bit more airy, then I could see this being a good, cohesive look. Right now, it’s a frustratingly near-miss.
Many many years ago I knew someone who went to a carnival and came home with a plastic hat that looked just like this. It just looks cheap.
I don’t really care for this hat shape on Bea. But the hair is lovely, we don’t often see her with her hair up. And it’s cute that she matched Granny in her color scheme.
I agree with what you said 🙂