The Norwegian Royal Family gathered in Trondheim today to celebrate the 25th anniversary of King Harald and Queen Sonja’s reign (see a clip of their consecration 25 years ago today, here). This morning, the family attended a service of thanksgiving at Nidaros Cathedral Queen Sonja wore a new hat for the occasion, a simple white straw modified boater style with flat crown and brim.
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The hat’s trimming is very restrained with just slim cords of wired straw placed across the front and a simple white hat band. With Sonja’s white dress and coat, the hat makes for a very streamlined ensemble. A little stark, maybe, but she certainly stood out and I think it’s a very elegant look for her.
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: this hat is new
Crown Princess Mette-Marit topped a new pale blue suit with an aqua net veil headpiece, worn entirely over her face. While I don’t understand the appeal of looping a scrap of net behind one’s ears like an giant surgical mask for ANY occasion (much less such a momentous one), the subtle colour contrast between the two pieces is a nice touch. That’s the only good thing I can find to say about this… thing.
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Designer: Jennifer Behr. It is the Violette Headband
Previously Worn: this headpiece is new
Princess Märtha Louise repeated the pale pink layered feathers and a net tulle veil fascinator she wore to King Carl Gustaf’s birthday celebration earlier this spring. It’s not my favourite of designs but it worked well, particularly paired with her pink and gold dress.
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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: April 30, 2016
As pictured above, the Behn girls, Princess Ingrid and Prince Svere attended in national folk costume.
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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new
Today’s festivities concluded with a more informal Garden Party for 600 guests, held at the royal residence, Stiftsgården. The dress code included festive Midsummer floral wreathes on all female members of the family.
Royal Hats 
Astrid gets my win here. I love the pic of her hugging Harald. Sonja looks lovely in her white hat, this big brim really suits her. I will refrain from commenting on M-M and M-L as it has all been said already. The flower wreaths look stunning on everyone!
Love the floral wreath headbands!
As for the hats none really stood out to me. It wad nice to see MM something other then a headband even if it was a headband with a veil.
Both Sonja and Astrid’s hats are splendid. Martha Louise’s feather thing is just too messy and insignificant to be successful, although it is at least more substantial than the net… Mette Marit’s net is particularly disappointing because the tinge of colour veiling the face is actually quite a handsome effect, and it wouldn’t have needed much to turn it into a proper hat or headpiece.
On the other hand, the floral wreaths are great, and MM in hers looks wonderful!
I just love CP Mette-Marit. She is one of my favorite royals. Does anyone know why she hardly ever wears a real hat? I have heard that she suffers from migraine headaches, but I don’t know that for a fact.
Astrid’s hat is my favorite (I’d love to wear it myself), followed by Queen Sonja’s (simple and elegant).
Mette-Marit’s veil is just bizarre. It would have looked better bunched on top of her head. However, her shoes are gorgeous (while Martha-Louise’s are just ugly!).
I adore the floral headpieces!!
Queen Sonja looks so regal–simply elegant.
Princess Astrid is wearing the best hat (love the beautiful flowers) and she looks so happy. The pictures make me happy.
I really like the beige/tan hat with orange band and the coat and skirt the lady behind Princess Astrid and Princess Martha Louise is wearing.
Thank you Hat Queen for all of your hard work.
Every female who is wearing a flower wreath looks lovely in it, but MM wearing hers looks positively transcendent. I suspect that the wreath is the spiritual archetype for all MM’s headgear incarnations!
Head of the class – Princess Astrid – hat styling at it’s best, looks better with her sparkling personality
Almost made it to head of the class – Queen Sonja – I do like an all white ensemble, great hat, hard to see the styling as it all runs together
Epic Fail – Crown Princess Mette-Merit – No! No! No!
I really like Sonja’s new hat and think it frames her face beautifully, but what’s with the all-white outfit (even her pantyhose are white!)?
Mette-Marit, I prefer you with just a headband or nothing at all rather than this unflattering veil, even if the teal is a nice color for you. Even Haakon looks perplexed by this veil.
Märtha-Louise’s fascinator just looks unkempt and unflattering for her.
Astrid was the true winner of the day. The teal is stunning on her, and this hat is an excellent choice. I especially love how jovial she looks in the photo where she’s going to hug Harald. Brava Astrid!
I agree, she wears those white pantyhose rather often and they spoil things a bit, but the head and outfit are amazing.
I like Sonja’s crisp white hat, but I think Astrid wins today. Great color and a fun design. Should it be worn so far to the side, though?
What is Mette-Marit’s problem with hats?? I just don’t understand how her stylist/PA/advisors can let her walk out the door sometimes! She must have a problem with anything heavy on her head but I wish someone would treat her for it – some times she just looks ridiculous………like on this occasion!
What goes on inside Princess MM’s head? Goodness me, that’s a terrible … uh, ‘hat’. No, that’s a terrible scrap of fabric, because that’s all it is. As someone else has said it seems as though veils are making a comeback, as well as feathers, so Princess ML is at least on trend, although her headpiece looks a little squashed.
So thank goodness for Queen Sonja and Princess Astrid – and those delightful floral wreaths! What joy they bring to the occasion. Hurrah for King Harald and Queen Sonja!
Didn’t Mette-Merit look beautiful in the floral wreath? Her daughter makes me laugh. She has a certain expression on her face at these formal occasions. I will call it her “game face.” Teenagers! 🙂 Loved Princess Astrid’s hat. I did not know there was ribbon embroidery possible. I am all for more of that!! I liked the queen’ s hat, but I agree the white hose was going too far. She brought the color in the evening.
I love the wreaths! Very pretty.
I like Queen Sonja’s hat, but not the all white outfit. Red, white and blue would have been a more striking and vibrant statement, echoing the colors of the Norwegian flag. Princess Astrid’s hat was surprisingly a success, a bright color with pretty flowers. She’s not afraid to do something different. I’m not a fan of Princess Mette-Marit’s little girl style of ruffles and eyelet and I really don’t like netting in the face. I sometimes wonder if she’s just putting one over on us. The floral wreaths are nice if possibly a bit weird. Anyway it’s good to have a sense of humor especially when wearing national costumes, etc. Might as well have a little fun with dressing up.
The floral wreaths are definitely not ‘a little weird’. Floral wreaths (midsommarkrans) are traditionally worn at midsummer celebrations throughout the Nordic and Baltic countries. The oldest kind are done without a frame(?), the flower stems are kept long and woven (braided?) into each other, but they are quite complicated and heavy because a lot of flowers means a lot of stems.
Thanks, Laura, I stand corrected. I shouldn’t have used the word weird since it has a negative connotation. I should have said something like amusing, unexpected, different but great… What I was trying to convey was the sight dissonance I felt on seeing the midsummer wreaths at what I assumed was a fancy, royal garden party. None of the other guests were wearing wreaths and in fact most people were quite dressed up. I associate the wreaths with the typical midsummer celebration of a bonfire at a place such as a field or beach, where from my Norwegian relatives and friends, there is a lot of drinking, naked swimming, and generally letting loose. So it did strike me as a kind of tongue in cheek moment, similar to Princess Mette-Marit wearing a veil to church. To me it was a beautiful but unexpected wearing of the wreaths, and it served very well to lower the formality of the occasion. We all bring our own understandings and interpretations to this blog, which is why it is so interesting to follow.
I Like the floral pieces a lot. Veils seem to be coming in. I like the pure white outfit.
The comments about Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s veil are not very nice… the headpiece is certainly interesting, and it somehow works for her. Her choices always seem to be very harshly criticized. I give her credit for at least being unique and staying true to her personal style. She’s certainly not as over the top (or borderline inappropriate) as some royals.
The comments HQ made about MM’s joke of a hat are a lot nicer than what I’m going to say.
WHAT IS SHE THINKING? In what world is it a good idea to put a veil over your whole face and nothing on your head and think that you can call that a hat? This is a complete joke. We’d better have a worst hat of 2016 because this one will jump to the top of the list.
You know things are bad when MM makes Martha Louise’s fashion look good.
I like the light grey (?) hat in picture, doubled banded in what looks like a darker grey and coral. I say looks like because you can never really tell on these electronic screens of ours. I like Queen Sonja’s hat. I think the multi layers of white are overkill, particularly having white stockings to boot. Perhaps flesh colored stockings and either the dress or coat being the same color but one of them having some texture such as a raised pattern. Anything to break it up. I love your comments HQ when you take on these odd hats. They make me chuckle.
I loved Princess Astrid’s hat with its vibrant color and beautiful details. And I loved the photo of her and, I think, her brother the king, about to embrace. The crown princess’s piece of vagrant netting is a mystery. Wouldn’t one have done better not to wear one at all? (I suppose it may have fulfilled a dress requirement for the day–but just barely!)
“looping a scrap of net behind one’s ears like an giant surgical mask” Exactly – well put. 🙂