Members of the Grimaldi family joined in celebrations of their country’s national holiday yesterday, attending mass at the Cathedral of Monaco and events at the royal palace.
Princess Caroline of Hanover and Monaco topped her grey finely woven tween suit in a matching bowler hat variation with rounded crown and short upturned brim. I adore it for what it is, an overthought but oh-so classic Caroline-Chanel combination.
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Designer: Chanel
Previously Worn: this hat is new
Tatiana Casiraghi, who is expecting her third child, wore a black velvet bandeau headpiece with veil. As far as bandeaus go, this is a good one on its own. I’m just not sure about it in combination with her voluminous red coat.
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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn:this headpiece is new
Charlotte Casiraghi wore a close fitting burgundy cloche hat with twisted rose detail on the side. The hat seemed a better match for her dress than the brown tweed overcoat she wore to the Cathedral- these two pieces were completely out of proportion against the other.
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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: this hat is new
Beatrice Casiraghi topped her camel and black belted coat with a matching percher hat. With a camel felt beret shaped base, the hat is simply trimmed with a widely woven black veil overlay. Its a well coordinated and balanced ensemble that works but leaves me a bit “meh”. In a brighter hue it would have been great.
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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: this hat is new
Prince Albert’s first cousin, Baroness Elisabeth-Anne de Massy (below, right in a navy and black coat), daughter of the late Princess Antoinette, wore a black calot hat with short, cuffed brim and trimmed with a black bow and net veil at the front. Her daughter Melanie (bottom photo, left) wore a black felt wide brimmed Garbo hat. It’s a classic shape Melanie wears well but that would have been much better balanced with a few more inches added to the hem of her frock and coat.
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Royal Hats 
They all look so somber – hats, outfits, and even facial expressions. Is their national holiday not a happy occasion?
I guess all this is about as good / bad as one could expect from minor royalty!
The grey is a great color for Caroline, but there are too many odd details in this ensemble that make it look awkward to me. First: that bow! If it was attached to the hat instead of her dress, I might have no issues, but as is, it’s too weird for me. Second: the hat is too matchy and plain for my tastes; make this a regular felt hat and/or add some black and white Lady Amherst pheasant feathers. Also, some feathers would add some height to the hat, which I think is a little squatty for the length of her outfit. Ok, so maybe I’m being nitpicky, but I’m all about details!
Tatiana has been wearing voluminous coats for the last few National Day celebrations, so that’s not a surprise, but I agree, it doesn’t pair well with this bandeau hat. This headpiece looks too funereal for me, and a white felt wide-brimmed fedora with a simple black band would’ve made a much better choice here (in my mind, I’m envisioning the fedora Kate Moss wore in the Red Nose Day Love Actually short film, but in white).
In many photos Charlotte’s cloche looks a lot more like a fancy beanie because it has such a tall crown and very little visible brim. Give it a better brim that fans out a little more, and I probably would like this one. Also not sold on her outfit in general.
Along with Charlene, Beatrice was my favorite. A great choice of hat for her, and her whole look is very well-coordinated. I do wonder if the veiling (which saves the hat from being too beige boring) is actually navy blue, to match her skirt.
Elisabeth-Anne and Melanie look fine, but they always wear variations of the same type of hat every year to this event, and almost always in black. I suppose I can’t fault them too much since it’s probably the only time of the year they’re expected to wear a fancier hat, but I would like just a little more variety.
Finally, I guess mustaches are now the thing to have for men in Monaco? Not a trend I’m feeling unfortunately haha . . .
I’ll go with you on the moustache…..:-D
The mustaches are explained by Prince Albert here. I think it’s a kind & noble gesture by the Grimaldi men. Another article I read quoted Prince Albert quipping that his wife was supportive of the endeavor but looking forward to its end!
Of these the only one I love is Beatrice’s beret; I think this is how you do beige well, great contrast and such sharp styling. Love this look. The rest are all, well… okay.
I love Tatiana’s coat, both style and color, but I just cannot get behind these headband bandeau things. It looks like a black velvet bandage for a head wound. I love Beatrice Borromeo’s whole look, very chic, I just wish her hat was tilted a bit more. Looks a tad acorny now. Love the Garbo hat on Melanie.
Princess Caroline’s dress looks too much like a pregnancy outfit from the later 50s – early 60s. I have to agree however, that her hat is cute.
I’m always keen to see what Caroline wears and as a fan of Edwardian style I’m half onboard with this outfit but, oh lordy, that bow! I’m trying to imagine if the outfit would like better with a line of bows done the front (like military buttons, but bows … or indeed a double line of buttons). Maybe. But Caroline is, I hate to say it because I’m about that age too, too old for bows! I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it. It gives me pause.
Her hat, on the other hand, is every kind of fine, but I’m wishing there were some feathers (in which case definitely no bow on the top) to lighten it up a bit.
Love Tatiana’s coat (the colour!) and her veiled headpiece is fine; not on board with the severity of Charlotte’s cloche but it suits her well enough; Beatrice’s beret is fine but I don’t know what the veil’s for; Garbo hat is nice but the rest of the outfit, as you say HQ, needs lengthening.