Members of the British Royal family joined the Queen for Sunday service at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on Christmas Eve morning. Queen Elizabeth led her family in her repeated pale blue fabric covered hat with angular, flared crown and short, gently upturned brim trimmed in a white feather plume.
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Embed from Getty ImagesPrincess Beatrice topped her plum coat and dress with a black cocktail hat. The design features a black velvet covered oval button base and is embellished with flowers made of sequins and a lavish swath of net veil. The sequins flowers (visible closeup here) are a lovely trim element that add a bit of sparkle to the monochrome hat.
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Designer: Juliette Botterill. It is the “Veil Embellished Cocktail Hat” from AW 2017
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Princess Eugenie repeated her navy straw bandeau with bow trim. While the straw material and small profile of this design makes it firmly a summer hat in my mind, the simple piece seems well suited to this kind of event.
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Embed from Getty Images
The Countess of Wessex topped her orange coat with her smart navy trilby. Her ponytail anchors the short brimmed design and the unexpected but punchy navy and orange colour combination of the ensemble suits the jaunty hat so well. It’s a bold and confident look that looks wonderful on Sophie.
Designer: Jane Taylor. It is a bespoke version of the Chloe Trilby
Previously Worn: Jan 1, 2017; Jan 3, 2016; August 16, 2015; August 17, 2014; August 24, 2014
Previously Worn: Jan 1, 2017; Jan 3, 2016; August 16, 2015; August 17, 2014; August 24, 2014
Our favourite royal hat recycler across multiple decades, Princess Anne, wore what I thought might be a new design but no- eagle eyed reader Lex recognised it as being at least 18 years old! In cherry red felt, the hat features a rolled bumper brim and distinctive pyramid shaped crown embellished with a mass of velvet pompoms in different shads of crimson. There are no two ways about it- from side view, this piece’s shape and pompom topper are unusual to the point of being comical (I can’t be the only one who saw this and immediately thought, “Christmas Elf!”). Thankfully, the hat looks like a simple pillbox from the front. Either way, it’s a most memorable design.
Autumn Phillips topped her oxblood coat with a chic purple fedora.
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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new
Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones is barely visible below (just peeking out to the right of Lord Snowdon) in a burgundy felt beret hat while Lady Sarah Chatto repeated a navy straw design with rolled kettle brim.
My favourite new design here is Princess Beatrice’s black cocktail hat – which hats stand out most to you?
Photos from Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock; PA Images; Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
Finally catching up some after being out of the country for a while!
I always preferred this brimmed hat paired with this outfit for HM compared to the structured beret she often chooses. Glad to see this one out again!
Standard stuff from Beatrice; a good look, but nothing outstanding for me. Her coat looks a bit bulky, but a great color for her.
While I’m glad to see this wonderful bandeau repeated for Eugenie, I am a little perplexed a the straw choice for Christmas. At any rate, it paired excellently with her coat.
It’s nice to see Sophie with her hair down and in a brimmed hat again. A simple, but good, choice.
Anne’s hat would be better as a simple pillbox; the addition of the pom on top is a bit absurd, but I suppose we shouldn’t expect any less from our favorite recycler!
Autumn has really upped her hat game in the last couple years, and she continues to shine here.
While it is hard to tell for certain, I believe the woman in the burgundy beret behind David, Earl of Snowdon, is actually his daughter Margarita, as Serena is almost the same height as David, and this woman is half a head shorter. At any rate, another simple, but good, choice of hat, as is true with Lady Sarah Chatto.
For me, the Sophie and Autumn take this round. Those updated fedoras look very sharp!
Sorry! Fedora and Trilby!
HM: It’s lovely to see this hat again!
Sophie: A fedora is a great way to add some modernity these days, and Sophie is right on the mark here, bonus points for the ponytail.
Autumn: Another fedora worn with equally sharp results. Autumn is updating her burgundy coat, which she wore at Sandringham in 2008 with a white beanie (not nearly as succesfully, in my view) http://www.gettyimages.com.au/event/royals-attend-christmas-day-service-at-sandringham-84119714#peter-philips-and-autumn-philips-attend-the-christmas-day-church-at-picture-id84122403
Eugenie: so good to see that interesting hat again, paired with that modern style coat. Add dark stockings and dark knee boots to these, and Eugenie’s outfit would be elegant indeed.
Beatrice: I find little to distinguish this hat, and how it is being worn, from too many of Beatrice’s hat appearances from easily 10 years ago. This formula needs refreshing.
Anne: The hat is just not classic enough to be worn with such a loose coat. Take the pompom off and it could work
Sarah: That summer hat looks too low and wide (and summery), when worn with the high collar of that coat.
Great hats for all the ladies. Anne’s hat makes me think that her hat storage closet might be a warehouse and I’m sure that the only person who had more hats is her mother. I’m so amazed that she makes an old hat look so good!
Dear HatQueen, Princess Anne’s number is an old one. I found a record of her wearing this one during the incoming Chinese State Visit in October 1999 and here is the link: http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/the-princess-royal-ann-arrives-at-buckingham-palace-with-news-photo/51951851#the-princess-royal-ann-arrives-at-buckingham-palace-with-chinas-vice-picture-id51951851
Of course it is! Only 18 years old this time….!! Correction made.
Believe that it is Lady Margarita with her father the Earl. I saw a photo of Lady Sarah with her sister-in-law, Serena, who is wearing a dark hat I believe. (Suffering from photo overload as I can’t find it!)
Lady Margarita wore a blue fedora on Christmas Day- a post including this hat will follow soon! The photos in this post were all taken Sunday, December 24.