Monthly Archives: September 2016

This Week’s Extras

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Royal Hats

While there are still a few more hats and headpieces to look through from yesterday’s christening in Sweden, I’ll save those for Monday and get on with our regular weekend review. 

Infanta Elena and another fedora at a bullfight. ‘Nuff said. (Hola)

Princess Kiko in a prim white hat with blue pleated hatband to accompany her son, Prince Hisahito, on his birthday visit to the Imperial Palace (Getty)

Reader Laura passed on this retrospective of Queen Elizabeth and 30 hats worn to Ascot (Good Housekeeping)

Speaking of Ascot…I have long thought that one of the UK royals should collaborate with Scottish milliner William Chambers. This ostrich trimmed hat he shared this week would make SUCH a fantastic statement at the races!

Belgian milliner Fabienne Delvigne shared a peek at this new design – I wonder if we’ll see it again soon on a young Belgian or Dutch princess?!

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Elegance is ageless.

A post shared by Maison Fabienne Delvigne (@fdelvigne) on

 Royal Hats

Lovely photo shared by Princess Madeleine of young Prince Nicolas meeting a new equestrian friend (Princess Madeleine Facebook)

The British Royal family spotted today, headed out for a Highland picnic (Daily Mail)

Christening of Prince Alexander: Immediate Family

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As with other recent Swedish christenings, today’s baptism of Prince Alexander was an family-centric affair. Queen Silvia debuted her third ‘grand-baby christening colour’ (she wore pink for the christenings of Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar and blue for the christenings of Princess Leonore and Prince Nicolas) along with a new hat.

Embed from Getty Images   Embed from Getty Images

In a modified calot shape (the back did not completely cover the crown of Silvia’s head), this design is entirely covered in silk hydrangea blossoms that cascade down onto the shoulders of her coordinating jacket. While the hat has a decidedly 1960s vibe to it (reminiscent of other past royal hats here and here), the flowers lend wonderful texture and celebratory feel to this piece, which is a beautiful colour on Queen Silvia.
Queen Silvia, September 9, 2016 | Royal Hats   Queen Silvia, September 9, 2016 | Royal Hats
Designer: unconfirmed
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Crown Princess Victoria topped her coral pink Elie Saab dress with a custom bowed headband made of the same lace. Any more use of lace on the headpiece would have been complete overkill but… this headpiece left me wanting more. I think this is another case where a neural straw percher could have done a lot to lift this all-lace ensemble and provide some much needed textural contrast.

Crown Princess Victoria, September 9, 2016 in Malinda Damgaard | Royal Hats   Crown Princess Victoria, September 9, 2016 in Malinda Damgaard | Royal Hats

Crown Princess Victoria, September 9, 2016 in Malinda Damgaard | Royal Hats    Crown Princess Victoria, September 9, 2016 in Malinda Damgaard | Royal Hats

While this headpiece fell completely flat for me, my heart was warmed by the matched hues of Victoria and Estelle’s frocks. So very sweet.

Embed from Getty Images   Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Malinda Damgaard
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

Princess Madeleine topped her blue floral Erdem dress with a stylised double bow headpiece in navy and sky blue. The pointed shape of the bows saves the bow from saccharine cutesey-ness (barely) and the piece works well with Madeleine’s chignon hairstyle. I’m not a great fan of the piece but at an event that saw almost no real hats, it held its own.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Princess Madeleine, September 9, 2016 in Malinda Damgaard | Royal Hats

Princess Madeleine, September 9, 2016 in Malinda Damgaard | Royal Hats

Designer: Malinda Damgaard
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

Inquisitive young Princess Leonore sported a white double hair bow.

Princess Leonore, September 9, 2016 | Royal Hats   Princess Leonore, September 9, 2016 | Royal Hats

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Designer: I suspect Livly
Princess Sofia’s mother Marie matched her pink lace dress to a fascinator of straw leaves and feathers in the same hue.
Marie Rotman Hellqvist, September 9, 2016 | Royal Hats   Marie Rotman Hellqvist, September 9, 2016 | Royal Hats
Sofia’s sister, Lina Frejd, who was named as one of Prince Alexander’s godparents, topped her chic blue dress with a ruffled floral fascinator in pale grey, pinned to the back of her hair. Sofia’s other sister, Sara, wore a navy triple bow fascinator anchored to a headband. At an event with such pared-back millinery, the pieces worn by Hellqvist family members fit right in.
Lina Frejd, September 9, 2016 | Royal Hats Lina Frejd, September 9, 2016 | Royal Hats   Sara Hellqvist, September 9, 2016 | Royal Hats
 All in all, I’m afraid today’s royal millinery in Sweden was disappointing for me. My favourite piece here is Queen Silvia’s hat simply because it’s the only thing that comes close to being an actual hat. What are your impressions of the hats worn by the Queen and Swedish princesses today?

Christening of Prince Alexander of Sweden

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Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden brought their young son, Prince Alexander, to Drottningholm Palace Church today to be christened.

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Princess Sofia topped her white lace Ida Sjöstedt suit  with a simple headband of three rows of faux pearls criss-crossed with gold beads. The pairing of pearls and white lace reads as very bridal (perhaps an intended reference as the suit’s designer also made Sofia’s wedding dress last year) and I think a small percher or calot hat in natural straw with a multi looped bow or feather trim would have gone a long way to de-wedding this look.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Yunotme
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

The star of this event was clearly young Prince Alexander, who seemed less interested in millinery than he did chewing on his newly acquired order, holding his grandpa’s finger and chattering away to his cousin Oscar. Adorable.

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What do you think of Princess Sofia’s new headpiece today?Jump over to the following posts for:

 

Photos from Getty as indicated

Hats From the Past

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Royal Hats to 93 years ago today and two queens (one current and one future) in a pair of marvellous hats. The 1920s modified cloche shape is so great on a young Duchess of York. Push the top brim back toward the hat and you have nearly the same millinery shape she favoured sixty years later.

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Photo from Getty as indicated

Day 2 & 3 of Danish Late Summer Cruise

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Queen Margrethe continued her visit to Odsherred Municipality yesterday with stops at several museums and a converted fish market. She repeated her versatile natural straw hat, opting to place the turned down brim to the back and adding a hatband in the same plaid as her skirt. It’s a prim ensemble (very reminiscent of a school uniform) that ,I suppose, works for a cruise thanks to the nautical colour scheme.

Queen Margrethe, September 6, 2016 | Royal Hats

Queen Margrethe, September 6, 2016 | Royal Hats

Queen Margrethe, September 6, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: October 24, 2014; September 9 and 10, 2014; July 3, 2014; September 10, 2014; September 1, 2014; June 20, 2014; April 28, 2013; September 3, 2013; August 29, 2013;  June 4, 2013; August 30, 2013; September 5, 2012 June 9, 2011

Nautical hues continued today for stops in Favrskov Municipality with Queen Margrethe in a much repeated red straw hat. I don’t recall seeing it paired before with this navy dress and red jacket- the more streamlined pieces worked very well together and provided a wonderful backdrop for this hat (dare I say, giving it a new lease on life?). When it comes to Queenly nautical chic, this ensemble gets my vote.

Queen Margrethe, September 7, 2016 | Royal Hats

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Queen Margrethe, September 7, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: June 5, 2016; September 5, 2014; September 3, 2014; July 21, 2014; September 5, 2013; June 7, 2013; September 3, 2012;  May 25, 2011; June 7, 2011; November 6, 2009; July 23, 2009

What are your thoughts on these two nautically hued straw hats?

Photos from Liselotte Sabroe/Scanpix and Henning Bagger/Scanpix via The Danish Monarchy and Getty as indicated