I’m pleased to welcome longtime reader, Jimbo, back to Royal Hats, for a retrospective from the depths of Princess Anne’s millinery closet!
The following is a look back at many of Princess Anne’s Easter hats. Grab a chocolate Easter Bunny, and enjoy some beautiful headwear. Who knows, we may see some of them again!
Easter 1970 in Sydney; Easter Sunday 1987 and 1990 at Windsor Castle
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March 31, 1991; April 16, 1995; March 30 1997
Repeat of the yellow 1987 & 1995 hat in 1998; the same black straw hat on April 4, 1999 and April 23, 2000
Oatmeal, navy and cream brimmed straw hats in 2001, 2003 and 2004
Mix of shapes, colours and materials in 2005, 2007 and 2008
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The ‘Cherry Hat’ in natural straw in 2009; Repeat of the brown faux fur in 2010
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Repeat of the 1999/2000 black straw hat in 2011 & 2012; John Boyd black homberg (from the early 1970s) on April 20, 2014
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Trio of straw sidesweeps: pale blue on April 5, 2015; cream with feathers on March 27, 2016 and tan with pheasant feathers on April 16, 2017
UPDATE: Since this post was published, Princess Anne Anne has appeared on Easter Sunday in the following hats:
Turquoise felt fedora on April 1, 2018; Oyster straw sidesweep on April 21, 2019
Immense thanks to Jimbo for all the research needed to put this together! Looking at this lineup, I’m surprised that we see just three hats repeated (this is Princess Anne we’re talking about) although all of these hats have been well worn at non-Easter occasions (some, for multiple decades). I’m also surprised that the hat Princess Anne has worn most for Easter is one in black straw- hardly a colour I associate with Easter Sunday. And as for the 1997 dishrag head wrap… that dreadful design is best left in the archives.
What do you think of Princess Anne’s Easter bonnet choices, dearest readers? And what do you think she will choose to wear this year?
Photos from Ray Bellisario, Tim Graham, Tim Graham, Tim Graham, Tim Graham, Tim Graham, John Stillwell/PA Images, Tim Graham, UK Press, Mark Cuthbert, Tim Graham, Pool/Tim Graham Library, Julian Parker, Steve Parsons/PA Images, WPA Pool, Mark Cuthbert, WPA Pool and Mark Cuthbert via Getty; Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
Thanks Jimbo for this trip down memory lane back to my birth year and a little beyond!
There are some nice hats here, and then there are some I would like to forget, including the “cherry hat” I had put out of my memory, and then this brought it rushing back haha. Oh no, that was one of the worst, if not the worst, hat Anne has ever worn.
It’s surprising how many times the black straw hat was repeated specifically for Easter; it’s a great working hat, and while I don’t think a black hat for Easter is completely wrong (*spoiler* I will be wearing a new black panama fedora this year, no matter how chilled it is in DC), but I think she’s worn it too much for Easter, especially since she decided to repeat it two years in a row, twice!
My favorites are 2007, 2015, and 2016, with 2003 and 2004 being runner-ups.
P.S. Wouldn’t it be absolutely hilarious if Anne decided to bust out the yellow pillbox again this year, just to show us she still has it in her closet 20 years later?
Jake, I don’t think 20 years is nearly old enough, I will be more impressed if she brings it out in 2038 for its 40th!
I believe we enjoy wearing hats. They have been forgotten for too, long. Hats say something, from, Cheerio, to Hello! I believe they will come back.
Good lord! And I say this as a committed and lifelong fan of Anne’s. The ‘cherry straw” …. no words. The perky yellow pillbox with netting and the airline stewardess moment, ditto. Fortunately, every now and then there’s a ray of light (hope). I particularly like her 2015-17 hats, plus the 2004 and 2007 – which kind of suggests there’s a pattern to what *I* like her in! Great effort Jimbo, many thanks.
Glitter Girl made the comment I was about to post — the variance of Easter weather, with a fur hat and muff one year, and buds on the trees in another! It was interesting to note that the small yellow hat in the top row originally came with a veil — not sure if the remodeling of it was due to changing fashion or just to give the hat a new look. Also, the light blue straw in 2015 looks almost like it could have been borrowed from her mother.
As far as love of life goes, Princess Anne has one of those faces that always looks very severe if she is not actually smiling, but I suspect she loves life as much as anyone, though looking at the way she is bundled up in some of those photos, she might not have loved being freezing cold!
If you look closely at the yellow pillbox, the veil is still on the hat the second and third times it was worn for Easter. Instead of wearing it down over her face, it looks to be ruched up around the bottom of the hat.
Yes, I did notice that, thanks. It made me wonder, though of course we’ll never know, if the alteration had been made because styles had changed in general, or because the Princess found it annoying to have a veil in front of her face. I thought it might have been the latter because she so rarely wore veiled hats, and because she gives the impression of someone who does not put up with being annoyed!
My favorite of these is the John Boyd black homberg. I also like the 2015 blue straw which is helped by the nice matching outfit. I will try to appreciate Princess Anne’s current hats more, in light of the horrors that were and could be again! 🤪
Thank you, Jimbo, for the Easter retrospective. My favorite is the 2015 hat.
Liz, I agree with you – I like the 2015 hat, but I also really like the 2007 navy/yellow hat, even though many readers will not agree, me thinks. When researching this series, I was floored by the pale green wrap and the cherry hat! Maybe she was having a bad hair day before putting them on. She DEFINITELY had one upon their removals!
Both the 2015 and the 2007 hats reminded me of QEII’s hats. I wondered if Angela Kelly helped with those creations.
I’m not as violently opposed to the ‘dishrag’ 1997 year; at least the colour is a soothing blend with her outfit! For me the worst is the ‘Cherry’ straw 2009 – in my opinion not good for her or anyone else.
To my mind she wears the lime green turban style (1970) surprisingly well (sans the weird pipe feature). But she is at her best in the Edwardian style broad sweep hats, eg. 2003, 2004, 2012, 2017. She looks elegant, poised, and ANNE.
Good God! There are some looks here where it’s just as if she really had lost her mirror that day. But then some (2015) where she looks fantastic! I think that’s the thing with Anne, the absolutely lack of consistency. I actually feel overall she’s a lot better and more put together in recent times, but the 80s and 90s weren’t her best.
And the dishrag turban and the paddy field cherry hat, whilst hilarious, must never see the light of Day again!!
It ceritainly shows how the weather varies at Easter! We have faux fur and straw, all worn for the same occasion on different years. I remember being broken hearted as a child, when we had snow at Easter and I couldn’t wear my new spring hat.
That’s a good point. I wonder how many of us are changing our own fashion plans for Easter this year (in less than two weeks!) because winter is dragging on?
This past Wednesday, Mrs. Jimbo came home (in 4 inches of fresh snow) with a new, raspberry colored straw item which has a big blob of fluffy feathers attached to the front of it. I would have included a picture of it but don’t know how to. After I commented on the price tag, she proceeded to prepare a very familiar dinner – hot tongue and cold shoulder!
Ah, the plight of a hat loving female- defending the pennies spent on this “accessory”!
It looks as if, in matters of fashion, P. Anne is capable of the best as well as the worst. In some pictures, she almost looks, if you’ll forgive me saying so, as if she has lost the love of life. Whereas in others, she is most elegant and radiant.
Love everything she wore in the 60-70’s, those shapes are great for her. Dainty fascinators are not her personality. She can and should go big.
I agree with you Phyllis about Anne’s hats from the 60-70’s. Just for you her is Anne launcing the Esso Northumbrian tanker in 1969. Love the hat on her and that coat! Love the back of it!
Here is a color photo of her – very nautical looking!
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Thank you Jimbo for this and the two stories.