During the recent series on ‘new’ unfamiliar hats worn by Queen Elizabeth during the 1980s and 1990s, I received this interesting reader question via twitter:
Janet, what a great question. The first hat that came to mind was this pale blue Philip Somerville design with square crown, lattice printed brim, and front bow. She wore it twice this summer- first for a garden party and most recently, for Trooping the Colour on June 17 (below left) and I believe its first appearance was during a visit to Malta on November 26, 2005 (below right).
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Can any of you think of a hat more than 12 years old Her Majesty has worn over the past 3 years?
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
Had a sudden thought – not exactly a hat but still…
Her Chelsea Flower Show ‘hair net with bows’! A DM retrospective shows it being worn in 1974 (although the arrangement of the bows looks slightly different to later wearings), 1977, 1981, 1993 and 2011. In 2012 it had perhaps seen better days and she had a new hairnet with little flowers on it courtesy of Angela Kelly (which is either worn incorrectly or made oddly, just doesn’t look right).
PA Images also shows hairnet outings in 1972 and 1996
Interestingly, the same retrospective shows the Queen at Chelsea in 1960, walking with her uncle, David Bowes-Lyon, and an unidentified woman, perhaps his wife, Rachel. And that woman is wearing … lots of little bows in her hair! Did Aunty Rachel (if that’s who it is) give her hairnet to Queen Elizabeth because she admired it or was Elizabeth inspired to have her own made? Uncle David died the next year so perhaps there’s a little emotional link there too. Yes, I’m grasping at straws but *something* has to explain her penchant for this strange piece of headwear.
See the photo collection here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2328376/60-years-Queen-Chelsea-Flower-Show-As-Her-Majestys-favourite-events-celebrates-100th-year-FEMAIL-looks-happiest-times-world-famous-flower-garden.html
Certainly worth a mention! I did a post on them back in 2013. I don’t think she’s worn the bow hairnet since.
I beg your pardon everyone, the photo in the DM collection of the Queen with her uncle and the woman with the bows in her hair is dated 1955 (he died in 1961) – have always had problems telling my left from my right!
Marvellous sleuthing everyone, this is a fun post.
Agreed — fabulous finds, all!
Thinking about this more, there have been a few hats that have reappeared during her Balmoral stays the past few years, all which we thought had been retired that I think bear mention in this conversation:
1. Blue/grey straw hat with feathers worn September 2013. It first appeared in 2004
2. Green straw hat with feathers worn August 2014. It was first worn in 2006
3. Turquoise straw hat with wide white hatband also worn in August 2014. I think it’s first wearing was in 2004
Photos from these hats’ first outings:
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So Balmoral is where hats get a second airing then? That’s fascinating. The black hats are impressive too, especially the one on the far left with the huge diamond ribbon brooch.
In 2002, Queen Elizabeth introduced several black hats (it was the year her mother and sister died). They haven’t been worn in a while but I have a hunch the first one is still hanging about.
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I really hope that first one is still in the rotation! It’s probably my favorite of her black hats; such excellent and unique trim and details.
Here’s an older one:
July 27, 2004
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September 18, 2016
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Jimbo, I knew you’d come through! If this one is still in the royal wardrobe, it’s now 15 years old (see Jimbo’s updated comment below).
Now, if we’re going to get entirely technical with Janet’s question, our winner, by far, would be the Queen’s Garter hat, shown below in 1954 and 2015! Of course, we don’t know if it is actually the same hat (although it wouldn’t surprise me if it was):
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It’s even older than I thought!
June 18, 2002, Royal Ascot
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Well done! This is definitely the one to beat.
So for a while in the early 2000s this sort of half-pie hat band was a ‘thing’ – this hat, the first black one and even the third Balmoral hat might sneak in. To my mind it’s not a style that enhances the hat or wearer. It just sort of dribbles into nothing.
Jimbo, you are amazing! I agree with Sandra that it doesn’t do anything for HM.
Both HQ’s and Jimbo’s finds are well-worth repeating and being called HM’s ” oldest working hat”.
It may be that HM oldest working hat is this; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cap_of_Maintenance
🙂
Or this one (!!) pictured here in 1953 and 2016
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October 14, 2005
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March 31, 2014
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Great find on this Marie O’Reagan design!
Intriguing question, Janet W…. I am so curious to know whether the pale blue Phillip Somerville hat is the one!