to thirty-one years ago yesterday and a fabric-wrapped, maroon felt pillbox hat worn on a visit to Cumbria.
Embed from Getty Images
An announcement was made on Saturday from Kensington Palace that a statue of the late Princess of Wales will be commissioned this year by her sons. In honour of this year’s 20th anniversary of her death, I’m going to start including photos of Diana’s hats in these flashback posts. I understand that for some of you, she remains a polarising figure but I trust that comments about her, her former husband and his current wife will all remain respectful.
Photo from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
It’s so great to see Diana in your “Hat From The Past” posts. She was truly a fashion icon, and including images of her hats on the website can bring back the memories, and is also a great tribute for the 20th anniversary of her death.
She had such fabulous style. I am very glad that you will be including her hats in your flashback posts.
Still a big Diana fan here and I really look forward to seeing what you’ll be showing us, Hat Queen!
Diana looks so beautiful here! Thank you for posting this. It still hurts a little to see photos of her; I can’t imagine what her family goes through when they see photos. Anyway, this is a very nice pillbox and a nice outfit. I think larger hats probably suited her a little better, but the style definitely worked for her.
Diana carried off her hats perhaps due to her hairstyle. Many of the hat styles we see today on Kate are inspired by Diana pillbox upturned brim etc. I’m happy you are including Diana in hat features as she wore some of the most beautiful hats of the time that are also now classic.
No Trudie- there’s absolutely no indication anywhere that the hat styles we see on Kate were inspired by Diana’s hats. Pillboxes have been popular since the 1960s and the smaller cocktail percher hats we often see on Kate came into vogue even earlier (and have come around into popularity again today). Kate’s hats reflect the fashion of the day, just as Diana’s did in the 1980s and 1990s.
Trudie, I appreciate your comment. Gave me things to think about!
I haven’t seen all of Princess Diana’s hats, but I agree with the idea that her hairstyle is one that shows off millinery well. Certainly here, the loose soft hairstyle frames her face and provides an excellent backdrop for the hat. It’s actually one of the reasons I love seeing the Duchess of Cornwall in hats- her hair also is often softly framing her face and providing a similarly nice hat backdrop.
This is a really first-class example of a pillbox, I think.
Still the Queen of Hearts (and Hats)! How appropriate to honor her in this way HQ.. thank you! How beautiful Diana was…and still loved here across the pond.
The pillbox style may be simple, but as this photo shows, it can add a whole lot of pizazz to a look. This pillbox is a gorgeous example.
I agree with Michel’s comments on Diana’s hairstyle. Most of today’s younger royals (Charlene aside) have long hair; which means that they wear their hats somewhat differently to women of Diana’s era and before. It will be interesting to see how Diana worked her medium-short hairstyle in with the hat fashions of the day.
Was so thrilled to see a pic of Diana when I scrolled down! Thank you for posting this and for the promise of more! I loved Diana’s fashion choices especially from about 1984 thru 1997.
I too am a huge Diana fan so I am excited to know she will be featured in the flashbacks. She was so young and she was trying to find her style. I remember this hat and not only does it match her suit perfectly I like the way it sits on her head with her blonde hair coming out on all sides.
I’ll be interested in seeing the flashbacks because the eighties fashions were so awful! Agreed that this one is well coordinated with the suit.
Excellent matching of hat to suit. I don’t remember this hat. Look forward to seeing some of those I do remember.
Gorgeous hat. I don’t remember this one and I too look forward to seeing more of what you can rediscover for us. Thanks!
I don’t remember seeing this one either….and isn’t it lovely. Gorgeous rich colour and the embellishment so tastefully done. It will be lovely to look back at the Princess of Wales….she was the most famous woman in the world, long before the age of celebrity. A touching tribute, totally appropriate and much looked forward to by the sounds of things. Thanks HQ.
Thanks for expanding the content. I love the hats from the past posts. This hat is particularly lovely!
Glad to see that Diana’s hats are going to get a showing – she certainly had some corners! This is actually quite tame, but I like it for that.
Scarf Addict and I share the same sentiments. The late Princess of Wales wore some beautiful hats and it will be lovely to see them featured here.
Love the color and quite like the hat. I look forward to seeing Diana’s hats featured – she had some gorgeous ones.
Beautiful hat–I like the fabric wrapping. The hat appears to go beautifully with the princess’s dress; the wrapping would appear to match or coordinate with its fabric. Lovely colors. The princess wore hats boldly and well–she made some adventurous errors, but her millinery was always interesting.
It is a good matching of suit to hat, without venturing into matchy-matchy territory, isn’t it?
Lovely I am a huge Diana fan so will be delighted to see her hats featured. Thank you.