King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway attended this year’s Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at Oslo City Town Hall on Saturday. Queen Sonja wore a new rounded calot hat made of the same midnight blue velvet as her suit. It’s a simple hat (there looks to be a bow or rosette of some sort on the right side) but one that lets the luxurious velvet shine.
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new
While Queen Sonja’s ensemble was all about smooth lines, Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s was all about lacy texture. She topped her black lace dress (complete with bewildering hoodie) with an elaborately layered headpiece in palest pink lace. The design is clearly one meant to frame Mette-Marit’s face which, in theory is a good thing. It’s a much larger piece than we’ve seen her wear in a long while but the head-to-hem lace of her ensemble is overkill and the pale colour of the headpiece is lost against her black dress.
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Princess Mette-Marit appeared at the Nobel Banquet (an event without tiaras) with a headpiece that looks to be fashioned from a Baroque pearl necklace. It’s not often we see Mette-Marit up the dress code when it comes to head wear and while we’ve all given her grief about previous headbands choices, the combination of this piece with matching earrings and a sleek chignon actually works.
Royal Hats 
The pearl headband ensemble is beautiful
Queen Sonja is a pro. She looks absolutely lovely.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit, well, a mixed bag. I love the pearl headband. That whole evening look is fantastic. The day look doesn’t hit the same notes for me. The dress is ok, the hood is odd but not bad. I’m getting tired of lace, but it seems to have incredible staying power. The wispy pink headpiece is… wispy. I am having a hard time seeing it integrated into the whole outfit. But, it’s a new piece for her, and I applaud that.
Have to agree with you. Hat Queen, when it comes to Princess Mette-Marit. You’re right, I, too, am not usually a fan of her headbands, but in this case, those big pearl bobbles are eye-catching. Quite lovely on her.
I do wonder how she keeps them in place.
Sonja’s hat isn’t very exciting to me, but she wears it well, although I wish we could see more of the details. And too often velvet can look dated, but she knows how to rock it here!
I’m clearly in the minority, but I really like Mette-Marit’s whole outfit. The hooded neckline is interesting and gives off a vibe that is both futuristic and retro, and I like the contrast of the pinks to the black of her dress. While I would love to see the return of this black fascinator (http://i082.radikal.ru/1109/ce/3b54d773c32d.jpg) from a 2011 state visit, I think if it was paired here, it would look too funereal.
As for the headbands, again they aren’t exciting, but Mette-Marit wears them very well and has given us a variety to keep us on our toes. If she does suffer from a condition that makes it difficult to wear most headwear, I think she’s still appealing to us with the headbands rather than just always giving us a bare head, and for that I’m grateful.
I think that the pearls look fabulous on Mette Marit, one of her better head band looks. I had read somewhere that she doesn’t wear tiaras and hats because of her neck problems .
That’s interesting and makes sense. She does seem to favor small headpieces lately.
I agree that the pearls and evening dress are lovely.
I actually do not mind the pink lace headpiece, but agree with others that it does get lost with the black dress.
Queen Sonja looks very elegant. CP Mette-Marit’s black dress is fine to me though I don’t like the pink shoes and hat(?). I think this would have been a win if she had worn shoes and headgear in black. The same headgear in black would have looked stunning against her blonde hair. Her pearl headband and earrings though with the chignon is beautiful and goes perfectly with the dress. This is a look that should be repeated!!
Mette-Marit looks beautiful!!
Mette-Marit sometimes just doesn’t get it quite right. I think the pink head piece is lovely, but not in winter and not when wearing black. She looks wonderful in the pearl headband and earrings. The pink head piece could possibly be worn with the patterned dress.
This is all peak Mette-Maritnof course. I think I like the day look, the colour contrast is interesting and I like the headpiece. The hoodie is a strange detail though. I love her evening look, that headband really does lift it up a gear.
Sonja looks lovely, peak Sonja too!
I can’t see Queen Sonja’s entire outfit in detail, but in the pictures shown she looks very nice indeed.
Lace dresses seem to be de rigeur these days and I am slowly warming up to them, including Princess Mette-Marit’s. Her pearl headband and earrings at the banquet are lovely.
Q. Sonja looks lovely in her velvet attire, and CP Mette-Marit looks wonderful at the banquet. I really really want to love her day look- I think she’s so close- the pink pumps and hat contrasting with the dark dress have so much potential and I’m so excited to see her in a headpiece bigger than the headband, but it’s just not quiiiite there for me. The hoodie is a big part of it, as is the all lace-ness. But still wonderful to have something more substantial than a headband. I have read she has neck problems (correct?) so this sort of headpiece/fascinator type headgear may be a great place to land, but perhaps a bit more color against her lovely blonde hair.