King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima arrived in Luxembourg today for a three day state visit and you know, dearest readers, that a state visit means new hats!.
The Dutch king and queen were met by the Hereditary Grand Duke and Duchess at Findel Airport this morning. Princess Stéphanie wore a new almond straw hat with shallow rounded crown and mushroom brim. The hat is trimmed with a large cream silk flower and green silk leaves and feathers that trail toward the back. On its own, the hat is a great scale and shape on Stéphanie’s but in combination with her green dress, tops a wonderfully balanced ensemble. This is such a beautiful look on the Hereditary Grand Duchess.
Designer: Les Folie’s Bibis (Sylvia Martinez). Dress by Natan
Previously Worn: This hat is new
The Dutch king and queen were official welcomed at the Grand Ducal Palace by Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. Queen Máxima wore an eye catching green chartreuse silk dress topped with a new hat. The green felt design features a flat crown and wide, cartwheel brim and is simply trimmed with a Petersham ribbon hatband, brim binding and flat bow at the back.
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My thoughts about this hat have flip flopped several times! The shape and scare are excellent on Queen Máxima but my first impression about the colour and use of felt was that the design felt unnecessarily heavy and suited to an outdoor winter event. Sorting through photos, I’ve had a change of heart. Matching a hat to the bright chartreuse silk would have put the ensemble WAY over the top and I suspect the green felt was chosen to coordinate with (rather than perfectly match) and mellow the impact of the statement dress. In that sense, it does well. I just wonder if straw might have been a better weight and texture compliment to the shiny silk and feel more appropriate for the season.
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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Dress by Natan.
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa paired her pink silk coat with a matching straw beret calot hat, simply trimmed with a small bow at the back. The scale and shape of the hat works very well with the raised collar on the coat and Maria Teresa’s statement earrings bring a bit of sparkle to the sleek pieces. The paler hued dress makes the ensemble work and I think the smaller hat is a great choice for the Grand Duchess, who’s petite height makes large brims sometimes overwhelm her.
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Previously Worn: This hat is new
Royal Hats 
I have to dissent. I think felt is the better choice for this long-sleeved dress in what appears to be a rather heavy-weight silk. And judging by the coat she wore on day 2, I think the weather might have been on the cool side. While straw might better suit the calendar, I think felt suits the dress and the temperature.
I have to dissent here. I think the felt is the proper choice for this long-sleeved dress, in what seems to be a rather heavy-weight silk.
I like all the hats but, this is a constant complaint I have with big brims on hats….if the wearer knows that cheek-to-cheek kisses will occur WHY do they continue to have such big brims? To me it seems such a simple fix; wear hats with a smaller scale brim or other styles to avoid these embarrassing moments. Let’s remember the moment when Camilla and Letizia tried to kiss during the official trip to London when they were at the hotel and both ladies were caught trying to figure out how to dance around their hats.
When it’s known that only handshakes will be required for greetings then by all means wear the biggest brim on your hat. Of course this is only my opinion!
Simple- not everyone looks good in a small brimmed hat (something I can say from personal experience!)
I love all three of these. Only Max could get away with those gloves and that color family head to toe. Stephanie’s flyaway hat does make me wonder if most hats are that unsecured. I would have thought they were much more secure. Especially at a windy airport.
Maxima: first I wasn’t really convinced but after seeing these pictures the color of the hat does pick up the trim on her shoulder. So I guess it works. I also like the hat better when you see her in full. The shape of the hat goes very well with the shape of the skirt. It gives a great balance. I don’t really mind the heavy fabric. I have more problems with the size. Maybe a hat this big isn’t the most practical option when you know you’re gonna kiss other people. And it also hides her face.
Stéphanie: now this is absolutely stunning. The hat on its own is gorgeous but it becomes even better in combination with her dress. For me definitely one of her best looks ever.
Marie Teresia: not the most memorable look but I can’t say anything bad about it either. It’s a lovely color and fabric and it suits her.
I was all set for Max to be my fave, I love her in chartreuse, and I agree that the hat is a perfect combo- matching would have been way to much. But then I saw the HGD! She is not usually a favorite of mine, but here she looks divine. The hat is a gorgeous shape, she wears it well, and it is so flattering. And then paired with her dress/coat. Really a stunning appearance.
Maximas hat and frock are fabulous and so her, but I do agree, a straw would have gone a bit better. The hat is a winner though and I’m sure she’ll accessorise the hell out of it!
MT is elegant as ever, and Stéphanie has so played her A game, this Is a fab look for her – that green is divine and the hat a fab counterpart. I’d have made the hat a touch broader but that’s a tiny point.
Well played.
HGD Stephanie’s hat and outfit are perfect! GD Maria Teresa calot is lovely. However, the collar on her coat shortens her. Queen Maxima rocks big hats but this feels heavy and suffers monochrome overload.
Stephanie looks wonderful. She just may be my most favorite princess. Maria Teresa knows what looks good on her so she rarely fails to look stunning. What can we say about Maxima who is bigger than life? While I’m not a fan of the color of her dress, the detailing on the dress is exquisite. While her hat is alright, I feel the brim of the hat over powers Maxima’s face; she almost gets lost in the hat.
I looooove Stephanie’s hat! (And the video is adorable). I think Maria-Theresa looks particularly good in calot styles. I’m afraid I don’t like Max’s hat at all. As you’ve mentioned, the felt seems overly heavy and straw might have been a better choice. I also think this color green is so muddy against the vibrant chartreuse dress and if they wanted to tone it down, they should have picked a different fabric for the dress 😀 or a more contrasting color for the hat and the accessories. I think navy would have worked nicely.
This may be Stéphanie’s best hat and outfit yet! This emerald color is gorgeous for her, and this hat is a great size and shaper for her, not to mention it sits just right; her hairstyle also helps show this off. I especially love the trim on this hat; it coordinates well with the dress, but this definitely can be paired with other outfits. Brava! More of this Stéphanie! P.S., I was afraid either her or Máxima’s hats were knocked off when they met, and sure enough, one did!
I also like Guillaume’s muted orange tie paired with his pinstripe navy suit; he and Stéphanie make such a lovely couple.
If any royal can wear chartreuse, it’s Máxima! I think her dress looks better with indoor lighting, as it becomes to shiny in the sun unfortunately, making the coordination with this hat less obvious. As for the hat itself, I agree that velour felt seems an odd choice for this late in May, but I definitely hope we see this hat again come fall and winter; this sage-olive color has a lot of potential to go with many other outfits for those seasons. The one think I don’t care for are her mesh-like gloves. Overall, I like this ensemble, but I think a straw hat would’ve been a better choice.
As for Maria Teresa, her hat was my least favorite of these three, but she still looked very elegant, and I very much like her ensemble as a whole. This dusty rose color is quite flattering for her, and while a calot will never be my favorite style of hat, it looked good on her, helped balance things with Máxima’s large hat, was still visible even from the front, and luckily faced little chance of being knocked off when meeting other hatted royals haha.
3 definite wins here today. Brava!
I couldn’t agree more!
Maria Teresa looks fantastic. The hat is perfect on her. Maxima’s color choice is not my favorite and for once I think her hat is too big. In some of the pictures we can’t see her face very well.
This is probably my favorite look that Princess Stéphanie has ever done. Sometimes she looks a little too matronly and this is perfect.
agree Sara!
GDss Maria Teresa’s hat is a great choice, but I’m confused by Queen Maxima’s. Possibly this is due to photo-issues, however, as on my screen the dress looks like it’s a sort of bright gold colour – barely any green tinge to it at all, which makes the hat seem an even odder choice. The Hereditary Grand Duchess (I had to look up the Grand Duchess/Hereditary Grand Duchess distinction!) looks lovely – I particularly like the way the hat’s trimming links to the dress.
Lovely hats on the Grand Duchess and Princess Stéphanie.
The House of Natan quite often uses rather heavy fabrics, I noted, almost like upholstery fabrics.
Q. Máxima’s hat has a rather sloping brim, which casts a shadow over her face and complicates kissing other hatted ladies!
And the House of Natan regularly uses horribly shiny fabrics. I really dislike them! I am no fashion expert and could not tel an Emily Wicksteed from a Gucci but I can see a Natan at 100 paces and I don’t like it! Stephanie’s hat was lovely today, and I liked the others too… just not the Natan outfits!
Natan dresses are so stiff they often look like they could stand up on their own. Natan does not stray far from his upholstering background so I don’t understand the allure of his clothes. I like Maxima’s hat but not with this dress.
the hereditary grand duchess looks fabulous! I like the green matte felt with the shiny chartreuse. it’s almost as if the matte green is picking up the undertones in the shoulder trim, which in turn bring the (really) shiny chartreuse down a few notches into..better, for lack of a more descriptive turn of phrase.
Like the rest of you, I originally wondered if a straw hat would have been better with Maxima’s dress, but one second thought, that dress is made of such heavy fabric – almost upholstery weight -that straw might seem too light weight. I agree with Hat Queen that matching the chartreuse would be a mistake. Stephanie
looks charming. The hat is wonderful for her. Maria Teresa was wise to choose a small hat, but I am not sure the high collar is the most flattering for her. Simple sleek clothes are best for her.
Is it just MrFitzroy, or does it appear Maxima’s hat embellishment has crawled down onto her shoulder? Still, it’sa great ensemble, and agree with our HatQueen and others — that straw would have been the better choice of material, all things considered. One is curious to see this hat repeated in autumn and winter to see what she does with it then!
Sweet side note- greeting kisses with hats don’t always go smoothly!
Stephanie looks absolutely fabulous! This is the hat and ensemble of the year for me so far. The photo of her seated together with Maria Teresa is so regal. I agree that Max’s overall look would have been better with a lighter straw hat. Looking forward to the remainder of this visit, particularly evening reception and tiaras!?
I agree – Max’s hat should have been constructed out of straw vs this heavy felt. Felt is wrong for this time of year; plus, straw would have complimented the effect of the dress better (and also lightened up the dress which could have used that for this time of year – it’s fabric is also kind of heavy for late spring). I do like both of the Lux. hats however.