Queen Elizabeth paid a visit to the Royal Academy of Arts earlier today to mark the completion of a major renovation of the facility. For this visit, she repeated the orange felt hat she debuted at Christmas with sideswept brim and flared crown, trimmed with orange magnolia blossoms, twigs and brown straw leaves.
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While this colour is not for the faint of heart (nor is everyone’s cup of tea), the Queen manages to wear it instead of the colour wearing her, and she carries it very well. I’m afraid I still do not warm to this signature Angela Kelly flared crown shape, although I do appreciate the restrained hand which applied the trim. What leaves me scratching my head, however, is how the hat’s trim relates to the teal printed dress which accompanies this ensemble. The dress appears to be a traditional floral print and while I don’t think this hat would benefit from a lavish bouquet of silk flowers plonked on the side, its austere trim seems at odds with the traditional print. Perhaps this is one of those times when we need to see the hat alone with the dress for the ensemble to really make sense.
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What are your thoughts on this hat on this, its second outing?
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
There is something about this hat that is so… (chef’s kiss) I can’t even say what it is exactly. When Angie gets it right, she gets it right.
I found a very interesting web sight, (not unfamiliar to many Royal Hat readers, I’m sure) which traces back the English monarchs. It appears that Charles I was 17 ahead of Elizabeth!
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/KingsQueensofBritain/
I liked this hat/ensemble before, and like it still, though I agree with the previous comments that perhaps a different dress underneath might have gone better if it was going to show. (Though I have seen no photos from the event indicating that the coat was ever removed.)
One thing that interested me was that before I saw this post, I had seen a short video online somewhere of HM pulling the cord to open the curtain to reveal the featured painting and I was struck by how well her outfit coordinated with both the curtain and the painting. Do you suppose that someone on her staff is given hints in advance as to what color might be a good one to wear at particular events? (We’ve talked about wearing colors that are a tribute to other countries, but I mean just at general events.) Another occasion when something like this happened was when Q. Maxima wore the grey hat with the green dress — I didn’t like it at all the most recent time she wore it, but the previous time, I did because she coordinated so well with the room she was in.
I love this vibrant orange/tangerine on HM more the 2nd go around; she never ceases to amaze me with her vitality and energy!
I particularly like the 2nd from last photo of her gazing at “Charles I at the Hunt,” painted in 1635 by Anthony van Dyck.
Here is a fascinating, short video about the painting. (I know, it’s not about hats, but last night’s snow has deterred me from going to work today, so I’m finding interesting things to share.)
Thanks for posting this, Jimbo. It’s a good analysis.
I love that picture too! I was going to add that it is almost as if HM was ready to coordinate perfectly (in some ways this isn’t such an ‘out there’ possibility, surely she will have been briefed/know about the Charles I collection?)
I love the orange, but when I saw the turquoise too I laughed and thought, classic HM. No-one else could wear it like her! I genuinely think she manages to pull off the two deeply contrasting colours together.
As I grow older, I find myself liking orange! So, HM’s outfit is a winner for me.
I quite like orange so this is good for me. It’s not a colour HM wears a lot but this warm shade is a winner. I like the hat too, the restrained trim is good and I think the slight flare gives it interest. Like you though I’m puzzled by the dress underneath, surely something in a brown to pick up the hat trim would have worked better?
Sounds like I’m going against popular opinion, but I love this orange for HM, and I’m glad to see this out again!
Random critique point: I don’t think this brooch is as successful as the previous outing’s brooch as the previous one’s lines flowed well with the trim of the hat, the line of the collar, etc., but I supposed this perhaps belongs on another blog. My only real complaints otherwise is that the top of the crown is a bit too flat, and that a true or cobalt blue would go better with this orange than the aqua color of her dress (although I could be persuaded otherwise if I saw the whole outfit without the orange coat).
I liked this ensemble better at Christmastime. I think the color is better in the fall and winter, rather than in early spring.
The color totally washes her out. Magnolia flowers are a pale orange not neon orange.
I agree. She disappears behind this strong color.
I agree that there is something rather “Mad Hatterish” about this shape of hat. I also agree that the trim resembles (to me anyway) one of those decorations for Thanksgiving we see in the flower shops. On the other hand, I have no idea what would relate the hat to the dress. Any suggestions?