Prince and Princess Michael of Kent took in the Salzburg Festival this week. It’s not technically a hat but Marie Christine’s getup has me scratching my head. WHY?
While it’s been a slow week of working royal hats, there have been numerous ones spotted at the Olympics. Third place goes to the synchro baseball hat wearing King and Queen of Sweden.
Silver medal for Olympic royal hat wearing goes to adorable Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, in a floppy straw design (she gets extra points for her impressive collection of Olympic pins displayed on her lanyard):
And the gold medal…. Queen Maxima’s straw fedora, which made multiple Olympic appearances. So chic.
Great overview of recent celebrations for Liechtenstein’s National Day here and here (Luxarazzi)
Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako and a Princess Aiko celebrated Japan’s first ‘Mountain Day’ national holiday with a hike in Matsumoto, Nagano last weekend. Imperial royals in plaid = happy claps.
I leave you this week with the hands-down winners for for royal cheerleading at the Olympics (with an honorable mention to young Nicolas of Sweden as posted here by his mum)
Photo from Rex Features and Asahi Shimbun
Royal Hats 
Ok I thought it was flash back time to the 70s with princess Michael and a bad one as well.
Thanks for all this information HatQueen. Princess Michael’s outfit is over the top! It was great to see all the Royals cheering on their country’s Olympians. The hat gold medal definitely goes to Queen Maxima’s straw fedora.
Thanks to JamesB and Emma for explaining the influence of Mrs. Downton Abbey, but it’s rare that a turban flatters its wearer.
The Dutch royal Family is absolutely adorable.
Y’all: second cheerleading photo down–Maxima is celebrating with her ENTIRE body. That foot is Maxima! She has a daughter on each side and is throwing her hands (and, therefore, their hands) up. I love it! What a great experience the Rio Olympics must have been for the whole family. Thanks for sharing these photos.
Regarding the turban look– sometimes older women’s hair thins to the point where it’s unattractive. This is an alternative to a wig in a situation where a hat would be out of place. I would guess that might be the reason for someone who regularly wears a turban. For the occasional wearer it might be a time between visits to the hairdresser. I think the bold jewelry may be saying, look I’m just eccentric and fashionably forward, take no special notice of the turban.
I think Princess Michael picked up the style from her lady-in-waiting, Emma Kitchener-Fellowes. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/news/downton-writer-julian-fellowes-condemns-block-on-women-hereditary-peers-31519587.html
I googled Emma Kitchener Fellowes and you’re correct, Megan. She is pictured wearing these turbans with different outfits in 80% of the pictures. Mostly white, one pink that I saw.
I nearly fell off my chair laughing at your medals for “royal hats at the Olympics”. That is so funny!
At one point, American TV showed the Dutch royals in the stands — cringing as a Dutch gymnast made a bad mistake. They were not identified by the announcers, of course, who appear completely ignorant of royals other than the British. But it was fun spotting them “in the wild.” They obviously had a wonderful time in Rio!
Princess Michael is usually well dressed and elegant in her own way, but the wrap on her head is perplexing. That and the outsized necklace look as though she is impersonating a gypsy. This one really has me scratching my head. Little Prince Nicolas of Sweden is adorable. How did he get so old, so quickly?! It seems like just yesterday he was a newborn. The Dutch royals looked like they were having an amazing time at the Olympics. This was a great roundup.
I was so worried that talk about abdication in Japan was going to send Princess Masako back into hiding. She looks so relaxed and happy here. What a beautiful photo of her family. Princess Aiko has sure grown up!
I agree with your thoughts on Masako. She actually looks better than she has for some time. Fingers crossed all goes well for her. They seem a happy and devoted family. The Dutch Royals win every medal for me. Sheer joy and exhuberance win every time.
WHAT IS MC THINKING?
Synchro baseball hat wearing- HA!
Maxima looks so good in that fedora. And her girls are ADORABLE.
As long as there’s no team fascinator competition, we’re all good.
So, re M-C. She has a good friend a lady in waiting called Emma Kitchenor Fellowes (whose husband wrote Downton Abbey you know!) and she is an avid wearer of these head garments…
http://imagecollect.com/picture/julian-fellowes-emma-kitchener-emma-kitchener-fellowes-lady-emma-kitchener-lady-emma-kitchener-fellowes-julian-fellows-photo-2106541/archival-pictures-globe-photos-44869
I know this for I worked for a charity they supported, and j actually have a photo of me, M-C and Emma (turbaned). We used to call Emma ‘the turbanator’….
How wonderful. Thanks for sharing, JamesB