The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in Sweden late last night and kicked off their visit officially this morning on an informal note, visiting an outdoor ice-skating venue in the center of Stockholm. For this event, where they watched a youth bandy hockey game and tried their hand at shooting a goal, Kate sported a chunky knit wool hat in grey and silver topped with a dark-gray faux fur pompom. William wore a burgundy wool knit hat with a cream Nordic design.
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Previously Worn:
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Previously Worn: December 25, 2017
Royal Hats 
This link http://mk-london.co.uk/news/u6525/2018/01/30/19428 includes many more photos of this day’s events, both indoor and out. It’s a Russian language page, but if you can translate it with Google translate. There’s a cute photo of them being presented with a Prince George sized team jacket from the hockey team, among others.
When I was growing up, we often referred to this type of knit head wear as a “dunsel cap,” and my mother knitted many of them through the years, matching them with homemade sweaters (jumpers). I still have one seasonal sweater that she made, which has been relegated to the “tacky Christmas” section of my closet. This is NOT to be confused with a “dunce hat,” which I also wore on many occasions, as I was shamefully sent to the corner of the classroom.
Furry hats again, hooray!
I agree wholeheartedly with the praise of the hats and ensembles Kate is wearing.
Beanies are an item I don’t associate much with style; so I was pleasantly surprised to see how flattering Kate’s beanie is. (BTW, beanie is the word used for these hats in Australia too). The grey/white colour scheme suits her, while the large size of the pompom and the thickness of the yarn nicely balance out the bulk of her outfit. William’s beanie is less successful precisely because its scale is too small – he needs a chunky hat not just because of his chunky clothes, but because of his height and shoulder width. This tight and practical ski cap is a typically conservative choice for William, with its (possibly Scandinavian) pattern connecting it to the host country.
Regarding William’s beanie cap (which seriously, I had never before heard that style referred to by that term, I had to Google that one), I recall reading many times years ago how Diana made a conscious effort to have both of her sons meet and interact with “ordinary” people so they could know what their lives are like, therefore it would not surprise me if William’s cap was an ordinary brand that could be afforded by regular people. Regarding Kate’s cap, I know we’re not supposed to discuss personalities here, only hats and clothes, but I will say that I belong to a club here that makes things (including knit caps) to donate to needy people, and when the members realize that a prominent person would pay $285 for something they can make in an hour or so out of donated yarn, it will make them feel even more charitable!
William’s hat is the “Burgundy Snow Star Bobble Hat” from Gandy’s London for £22.00.
LOL, HatQueen, thanks! I knew William wouldn’t let us regular folks down! Incidentally, if William’s were handknit, which I’m sure it isn’t, it could go for a much higher price due to the complexity of the pattern.
Thanks, HQ.
Beanie, to me, is an American term and means a close-fitting winter hat. So if a hat has a pom-pom on it, is it a beanie? See, I’d call it a pom-pom hat but I also love the British expression of ‘bobble hat’. Oddly enough, I was watching scientist Kate Humble in a documentary last night and I reckon she was wearing exactly the same pom-pom hat as Kate. I even paused the show to point it out to the two men in the room (not much interest, though).
Beyond American, I wonder if it’s a regional usage. I’ve only ever heard the word beanie applied to humorous hats like this one:
Serious caps worn for warmth like the ones the Cambridges are wearing are called knit hats or caps, or wool hats even if they’re not actually wool. And we’ve got this group here that makes them (among other things) by the dozens to send to low income school children and other people in cold places, and I’ve never once heard anyone call them beanies. And yet when I google the word beanie, there are pages of hats just like the ones we make, called beanies. Interesting!
There are many names for the caps William & Kate are wearing: beanie, knit cap, watch cap, ski hat, stocking cap, tuque/toque (Canada), bobble hat (UK), sherpa, tophue (Scandinavian), and more. All loosely refer to this type of hat, with or without a pom, with or without earflaps. They can be made of natural fibers, synthetic fibers, or a blend, and can be either cheap, moderately priced, or expensive.
I personally call any of these hats “beanies”. I own one made from alpaca, but I’ve only worn it maybe twice as it’s not a shape or style I prefer, and I bought mine only in case it would be useful in a snowstorm that hit DC two years ago. For the next snowstorm though, I would go buy a proper ushanka (trapper hats are very similar) as that fits my style better haha.
Watch cap, ski cap, and stocking cap are definitely terms I have heard. I googled toque (which I had heard but wasn’t sure of) and interestingly found that it refers not only to this type of hat, but also to the tall chef’s hats, and going along with that, there are many restaurants all over who have the word “toque” in their names. It’s interesting that there are so many different terms for this type of informal hat while the names of the formal hat styles that we generally discuss here are so specific and clearly defined!
Kate is wearing a Eugenia Kim Rain Fur-Pompom Beanie Hat, originally selling for $285 USD, but they just slashed the price to $213.
Let’s all chip in and send two sets of these to Sweden tout suite!
I thought Kate’s pom-pom looked like real fur! I wonder what it’s made of? I’m in the “I’m OK with real fur” group and really love the new alpaca trio. I really like the pictures of royalty, back in the 50’s mostly, with their fur coats/stole, sashes and dripping in diamonds. Not politically correct nowadays.
Just an FYI: while alpaca is a real animal fiber, it is not considered fur as it is shorn off an alpaca like sheep’s wool and the animal is not killed in the process; alpaca is also softer and more hypoallergenic than traditional wool and cashmere.
I thought so but wasn’t sure. Thanks!
I normally don’t care about beanies, but both Kate and William wore theirs well!
I agree that Kate’s alpaca hat looks much better during this outing, and the outfit definitely helps it. She should also wear forest green more as it is a great color for her (bring back the Gina Foster cocktail hat!)
While I normally don’t think this as often as some people do, this time I agree that William’s head looks cold. A trapper hat with the ear flaps up (like this one: https://www.baileyhats.com/catalog/product/view/id/31515/s/vernon/category/183/) would look good one him and coordinate well with Kate’s hat; alternatively, a flat driving cap or some sort of fedora with a medium-width brim would also be a good choice.
As for Victoria and Daniel: I am sad neither one wore a hat, but (and this is certainly stereotyping Nordic peoples), they also don’t look as cold in these photos.
Great suggestion for hats for William — any of them would look sooo good on him, as well as being practical. William’s head did look uncomfortably naked, compared with his wife’s :).
Another agree. Kate looked fantastic. I love everything about this look from the top of her hat right down to her shoes. I would be curious to know if those are leggings to help keep her warm.
Agree with everyone that Kate’s hat w/ green coat and trimmings are “just right” for the occasion.
A perfect example of hat and outfit working in harmony. Like many other commenters, I feel sorry for the three bare-headed royals – they must have been freezing!
Agree that Kate’s outfit was perfect from head to toe! It occurs to me that if CP Victoria doesn’t like hats because they might mess up the smoothness of her hairstyle, she could start a new fashion craze by turning to earmuffs, coordinated to her coat of course!
I’d like to think that Prince William is wearing a Fair Isle-pattern hat from Scotland (have briefly tried to identify the brand logo but am unable to – Kate’s brands are everywhere, ah well). I wish he’d worn a hat for the walk in Stockholm. His newly shaven head looks cold and seems to be crying out for a hat! Kate’s alpaca hat is perfect for this event and goes so well with her coat, which is lovely. And, just for me (I’m sure), it’s not got brass buttons all over it.
The logo on William’s hat looks very similar to American brands Eddie Bauer or American eagle. Either would surprise me as both are lower market brands.
I love the alpaca hat with this coat and the faux fur collar and cuffs. It comes together to make a very elegant outfit and I think Kate knocked it out of the park! It isn’t the hat per se, but the entire outfit comes together to make a perfect whole! I like the beanie, also. I loved William’s red beanie especially well! William, Victoria , and Daniel looked like they were missing something on their heads for the walk to the Nobel museum. Their heads looked naked and cold!
Knit beanies are ubiquitous, but the fun oversize pompom distinguishes this one. I agree that the alpaca is just right for the occasion.
I loved both of her hats. They were both right for the occasions, and I loved the alpaca hat with that lovely green coat. She looked amazing, and Victoria looked lovely too, although I wish she had worn a hat. It was a good day for one, as it looked cold!
Agree. She looked great; I loved the green coat and adding the collar and cuffs made the hat look part of a very unified cold weather outfit. I wasn’t crazy on that hat at Christmas, but here it’s just right.