Several of you have requested a closer, side by side comparison of the hat the Duchess of Cambridge wore for her arrival in Canada three weeks ago and its red twin, worn for the Diamond Jubilee Flotilla Parade on the Thames on June 3, 2012. Here you are:
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There are some ever so slight differences between these pieces besides the obvious colour and embellishment- different thicknesses of felt give a narrower rim (with visible stitching) and inside moulded pleat on the red design. This, along with the more angular daffodil trim, makes the red hat look little more crisp than the blue version.
Having seen these two hats side by side I’m now curious, dearest readers- which version do you prefer?
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
My daughter lives in Victoria and went to see the Royals twice. She said the blue hat and suit were striking and the photos just do not capture the true color of the ensemble. I do like the style and shape of these hats.
There is also a Green one that is very similar that she wore Christmas 2015
My preference is the red one – I like the sharper edge to it. But its so close. The style suits her and it isn’t a fascinator (a trend which I hope is over)
BEAUTIFUL! Forest green is so rich, compared to Kelly green, IMO.
Good catch- the green one is a very similar shape, even though it is from a different milliner (Gina Foster).
This could shape up to be the DoC’s signature hat in the way of Maxima’s slice.
Too bad we’ll no longer see any new Gina Foster on royal heads since she’s closing up shop! 😦
I KNOW! That’s a second go-to milliner of the Duchess of Cambridge who is moving on to new professional adventures (Jane Corbett is the other). I’ll certainly miss Gina Foster’s work in our royal hats conversation.
Perhaps it’s the right time to treat oneself to an early Christmas gift and buy a piece of royal-connected millinery with her sale and the pound being so down! 😉
Thank you for finding this, thought there was another similar
I absolutely love both of them. The red looks a bit larger, bolder, and with her hair down, and the bit of plaid in there, the long sleeved dress, a little less formal in style…perfection. The blue hat combined with her stylish hairdo is scaled perfectly with her dress, both being a bit more formal and refined. Perfect!!
Both hats are very beautiful but I find it just very sad that they have to be so painfully similar.
I like them both though the red is slightly more her color. the updo hairstyle makes it a bit more formal, she looks great in both of them
I absolutely love them both!
I would like to see them again, but with less monochromatic outfits since these two are already so iconic. As we have seen on two queens in the last week, red and grey is a great color combo, and I think something in any shade of grey would be awesome with the red hat. I would like to see the blue hat paired with a dark forest green ensemble for a color combo we rarely see in royal sartorial circles.
I like the way the trim on the blue looks like one unified element instead of the two pieces on the red. Besides, it’s blue! But these are both beautiful and flattering.
I love both these hats! The size is perfect. The foral detailing is very pretty and provides lots of textural detail. The two colors are great. I’d wear this style any day and in any color. It’s worn best with Catherine’s hair set in a low bun as she did in Canada.
Both are good hats that should get plenty of wear in the coming decades!
I like the red one slightly better than the blue. But daffodils? Looks more like water lily to me!
I think both of these hats are gorgeous and she’d look lovely in an eggplant colored one.
Ooooooh yes!
Both hats are lovely. Her chignon with the blue hat makes the look more successful for me.
Totally agree!
If we could vote… I’d pick the blue one. The detail is sharper and better integrated.
I like the blue one best – but I think it was a mistake to have 2 hats so very similar in design.
She wore a very similar red one on arrival during her first visit to Canada the year she was married. I like them equally but her hair sets off the blue one best. I’m not a fan of long wind blown hair after age 30 but that is just my personal preference
Not so similar- this one (worn July 1, 2011) has a flat straw base with rolled brim, straw fluted flowers and silk maple leaves.
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I like them both equally, both stunning hats which look fab on Kate. I think the styling of the blue one has the edge and shows how much she’s come on; a sophisticated updo and major jewels just take this into a much more regal look.
Was good to see the red one out again recently; Kate’s strategy of re-wearing after a decent interval is a good one, and she always mixes the looks up too.
I love them both.
I love the red color, but I think the finish on the blue is better.
When the red hat made its debut, I thought it was the most lovely hat that the Duchess has worn. The color is stunning on her and the style is quite flattering. When she wore the blue hat recently, it reminded me of the red hat I loved so much, and now, side by side, you can see why. both colors are gorgeous on her, and I agree with Jimbo that her hair in the blue hat looks better. Regardless, it’s a successful piece of millinery for her, and hopefully she will wear both in the years to come.
As for preference, I think it’s a toss-up.
Both colors are outstanding on her.
Her hair is nicer in the blue one.