One Hat, Four Coats

Royal HatsWe tend to associate Queen Máxima with soaring, upswept brim picture hats but another royal who has embraced this style and worn it with great success is the Duchess of Cornwall. One of these designs in the Duchess’ millinery closet is a version in ecru and gold finely woven windowpane lattice straw, trimmed with flying straw twists. Camilla has paired this hat with four coats since its debut:

Look  #1: With a taupe silk striped coat and pale green silk patterned dress by Vivienne Westwood to the Ascot races, June 16, 2009

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Look  #2: With a pale blue and oyster silk embellished coat by Anna Valentine worn April 29, 2011 for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding, June 14, 2011 to Royal Ascot and June 13, 2016 for the Order of the Garter service

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Look  #3: With a spring green silk pleated coat by Anna Valentine worn for Ascot June 19, 2013 and for Trooping the Colour June 13, 2015

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Look  #4: With a taupe and cream colour blocked coat dress worn to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party on May 19, 2016

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

I’m curious, dearest readers, which pairing do you think works best?

Photos from Getty as indicated

Favourite New Royal Hat: March 2018

The royal calendar was a busy one last month with several high profile events – Cheltenham Festival, state visits and Commonwealth Observance Service – that inevitably included some new royal hats. Ten of the new designs we saw last month received particularly positive feedback. It is now time to take a closer look at the beret, saucer, fedora, upsweep, cocktail perchers and wide brimmed designs that make up this colourful group and choose a top pick. The winner of this poll will again move forward as a semi-finalist in our year end contest for Readers’ Favourite New Royal Hat of 2018.

Please click on each photo or caption to link back to original feature posts with additional views, information and discussion on each hat. Here are these ten finalists for March, shown in the order they were worn:
1.Mar 12, 2018 in AK | Royal Hats     2.Mar 12, 2018 in Stephen Jones | Royal Hats
Queen Elizabeth’s burgundy silk crepe hat with cherry blossoms and feathers by Angela Kelly worn Mar 12
Meghan Markle’s sleek Stephen Jones designed ivory felt beret worn on Commonwealth Day, Mar 12
3.Mar 13, 2018 in Goldust Millinery | Royal Hats      4.Mar 14, 2018 in Juliette Botterill | Royal Hats
Zara Tindall in a grey Goldust Millinery fedora with navy and turquoise hatband worn on Mar 13
Zara Tindall’s red felt saucer with silk rose trim by Juliette Botterill worn to Cheltenham on Mar 14 
5.Mar 15, 2018 in FD | Royal Hats    6.Mar 15, 2018 in Sally Ann Provan | Royal Hats
Queen Máxima’s grey hat with tall crown by Fabienne Delvigne worn in The Hague on Mar 15
Zara Tindall’s peacock blue felt percher with leather camellia by Sally Ann Provan worn Mar 15
7.Mar 16, 2018 | Royal Hats   8.Mar 16, 2018 | Royal Hats
Princess Anne’s purple felt fedora with feathers and looped bow worn to Cheltenham on Mar 16
Autumn Phillips’ black bumper base cocktail hat with pheasant feathers worn on Mar 16

9.Mar 16, 2018 in FD | Royal Hats  10.Mar 27, 2018 in RTM | Royal Hats
Queen Mathilde’s emerald felt Fabienne Delvigne design with flat crown worn in Canada on Mar 16
Queen Elizabeth’s pink felt Rachel Trevor Morgan design with silk flowers worn Mar 27 in Plymouth
This poll will remain open until next Sunday, April 15 at midnight GMT. As in the past, each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. Happy voting!
Photos from WPA Pool, Max Mumby/Indigo, Max Mumby/Indigo, Max Mumby/Indigo, Patrick van Katwijk, Max Mumby/Indigo, Steven Paston/PA Images, Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty; Benoit Doppagne / Frederic Sierakowski via Belga Photo Pool;  WPA Pool via Getty

Favourite Repeated Royal Hat: March 2018

Between state visits, the Cheltenham Festival and several other higher profile events, the month of March brought us numerous royal hats. Based on your comments, thirteen repeated designs stood out as particularly successful and it is now time to take a look at this mix of brimmed and brimless designs to choose  your favourite. As with other monthly posts, the winner of this poll will be put forward as a semi-finalist in our year-end contest for for Readers’ Repeated New Royal Hat of 2018.

Please click on each photo or caption to link back to original feature posts with additional views, information and discussion on each hat. Here are these thirteen finalists, shown in the order they were worn:
1.Mar 6, 2018 in AK | Royal Hats    2.Mar 7, 2018 in FD | Royal Hats
Queen Elizabeth’s purple square crowned hat with kettle brim and floral trim by Angela Kelly worn March 6
Queen Máxima’s burgundy velvet calot with tulle net overlay by Fabienne Delvigne worn March 7

3.Mar 12, 2018 | Royal Hats   4. Mar 12, 2018 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats
Queen Mathilde’s red felt wide brimmed hat with asymmetrical peaked crown worn in Canada Mar 12
Duchess of Cornwall’s cream straw hat with navy crown wrap and upfolded bim by Philip Treacy worn Mar 12
5.Mar 12, 2018 in Lock & Co. | Royal Hats   6.Mar 12, 2018 in Jane Taylor | Royal Hats
Duchess of Cambridge’s navy fur felt hat with mushroom brim and wide hatband by Lock & Co. worn Mar 12
Countess of Wessex’s navy straw hat with cream and gold swirling feathers by Jane Taylor worn Mar 12
7.Mar 12, 2018 | Royal Hats   8.Mar 12, 2018 | Royal Hats
Duchess of Gloucester’s pale blue felt and straw hat with pleated hatband and side feather spray worn Mar 12
Princess Anne’s cream brimmed picture hat with navy feathers, bows and quills worn Mar 12
 
9.Mar 13, 2018 in FD | Royal Hats  10.Mar 13, 2018 | Royal Hats  11.Mar 17, 2018 in Gina Foster | Royal Hats  

Queen Mathilde’s stacked felt maple leaf casque hat by Fabienne Delvigne worn Mar 13
Princess Anne’s grey square cloche with black hatband and feather covered brim worn Mar 13
Duchess of Cambridge’s green felt beret percher with flying bow by Gina Foster worn Mar 17

12.Mar 20, 2018 in AK | Royal Hats  13.Mar 20, 2018 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

Queen Elizabeth’s orange felt Angela Kelly hat with silk magnolias & brown straw leaves worn Mar 20
Queen Máxima’s natural straw upswept brim hat by Fabienne Delvigne
worn Mar 20 for the Jordanian state visit

This poll will remain open until next Sunday, April 15 at midnight GMT. As in the past, each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. Happy voting!

British Royals Kick Off Aussie Visit

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall arrived in Brisbane today for the start of a week long visit to Australia and Vanuatu. For their arrival, the Duchess repeated her mint green straw hat.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

The hat features a sharply upswept brim, the outside of which is trimmed with wide jinsin ribbon twists. The hat is further finished with a jinsin ribbon hatband. The hat has always looked unbalanced to me- something I thought could be fixed  by Camilla tilting it back slightly off her face. The bottom photo  shows that such a tilt would be nearly impossible without the hat falling off. I think the problem is actually with the placement of the jinsin twists, which would have given a far more balanced look to the design had they been placed on the inside of the brim instead of the outside.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: June 7, 2016August 15, 2015; June 16, 2015
I’m afraid this hat has never really sung for me- something about the proportion, angles and balance is trying very hard but still not quite right. Did today’s outing in Australia give you any new insights about this piece?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Hat From the Past

Royal Hats to the early 1980s and a marvelous flowered turban worn by the Queen Mother.

Embed from Getty Images

Photo from Getty as indicated