Monthly Archives: June 2018

This Week’s Extras

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Princess Hisako returned from a trip to Russia on Tuesday and, as per tradition, visited the Imperial Palace Sanctuaries to report her homecoming to the ancestral gods. She wore an interesting cream brimless hat with bumper top and gently ruched sides for the visit.

Also on Tuesday, Prince Nicolai of Denmark celebrated completion of his high school education in a Danish traditional graduation hat.


On Thursday morning, the Duke of Cambridge visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem during his high profile trip to the Middle East.

Yesterday, Queen Margrethe awarded the “Queen’s Clock” military award in her repeated pale pink hat with white trim

Also yesterday, Queen Mathilde repeated her royal blue ruched toque hat for the second day of the Australian state visit. 

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Princess Anne took part in a number of events in celebration of Armed Forces Day today

The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:

Cream straw percher with amazing yellow feather trim from Canadian milliner David Dunkley
Wearable and stylish panama hats from Jess Collett with statement hatbands and pink pompom trim
From Irish milliner Teresa Nugent, a pale pink felt button percher with fab black & pink square ruffles
Unique double straw and crin brims on this lilac straw picture hat from Essex based Victoria Carson
Straw boater with upturned kettle brim in warm shades of taupe by Dutch milliner Myra van de Korput
Red leather teardrop percher with sculptural knot & feather trim from Australian brand Jill and Jack Millinery
And from the incomparable millinery imagination of Stephen Jones, grey conical gnome hats with striped ribbon trim and matching beards seen at the Thom Brown Spring 2019 runway show in Paris. Words escape me for these hats.

It’s not a new design exactly… but I couldn’t resist sharing comedienne Kaye Adams’ musings on finding the right hat to wear to a wedding .

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Happy news from Japan- Princess Ayako will marry businessman Kei Moriya on October 29. The couple met late last year, introduced by Ayako’s mum, Princess Hisako, who has known Kei’s parents for a long time (she was a university classmate of his father and interacted with his late mother’s nonprofit work)

Queen Rania shared this lovely picture with her husband and eldest son on the occasion of Prince Al Hussein’s birthday.

In addition to his high school graduation, Prince Nicolai was also busy this week, walking on Monday in the Dior Homme Spring/Summer 2019 show in Paris. He took over Dior’s instagram page for the day, showing short clipos from behind the scenes you can view here.

Sweet snap of the King of Bhutan with his young son, Prince Jigme Namgyel

And to send us into the weekend with a flourish, the Earl of Wessex unveiling a plaque to officially open the renovated RAF museum yesterday with theatrical flair.

Dutch Monarchs Visit West-Friesland

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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima spent the day in West-Friesland yesterday, following a busy programme that included stops at recently redeveloped Oostereiland island, a road construction project in Drechterland, a youth drug and alcohol prevention round table in Grootebroek, a agricultural seed production facility in Enkhuizen and a sailing demonstration in Medemblik.

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For these events, Queen Máxima repeated a dove grey straw hat with round crown and wide, mushroom brim with unusually shaped high, pinched sidesweep on one side. The lower side of the hat’s brim is pinched into a more subtle crease – these two pinches turn the round brim into something closer to the shape of an eye (see picture at the bottom of the post). The hat is finished with a slim hatband and abstract flower with long petals that curl around the hat, both in the same grey straw.

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It’s amazing how dramatically two brim creases can change the overall look of a hat. This one makes a statement entirely by shape and scale and while it’s not perfect (I think the brim might work better without its rounded, mushroom edge shape), it’s certainly interesting. Grey is not a colour I associate with Máxima but it works well for this hat’s unusual shape and enables the design, which has been in use for more than 15 years, to continue looking current and fresh. I thought the combination of hat and this light summer dress yielded a polished, effortless summer look for the Dutch queen.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: January 9, 2012; April 13, 2011; April 19, 2003 
This is the first time we’ve discussed this hat here at Royal Hats and I’m curious to hear your thoughts about it!
Photos from Getty as indicated

Hats From the Past

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Royal Hats to this day, fifty-one years ago, when a Crown Prince Pavlos was christened in Athens amidst several magnificent gowns and hats.


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Photo from Getty as indicated

Belgian Royals Host Australian State Visit

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Australian Governor General, Sir Peter Cosgrove and his wife, Lynne, arrived in Belgium yesterday for a three-day state visit. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde welcomed the Australian visitors at an official ceremony on the Place des Palais.

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For this event, Queen Mathilde repeated her button base cocktail hat wrapped in red silk abaca, trimmed with silk abaca loops and a large red feather.

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The first time we saw this hat, its wrapping and looped trim looked a little unkempt to me. I didn’t feel that way at all about the hat today- perhaps the success of its pairing with this exquisite pink floral embroidered dress. While the delicate dress is a beauty on its own, the red hat, clutch and shoes add a punchy and unexpected note that reduces the dress’ sweetness. I think it’s a great ensemble for Queen Mathilde and particularly love how the hat’s silk abaca takes on that wonderful iridescent sheen in natural light.
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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. It is the Arpège design.
Previously Worn: Oct 13, 2016
Thoughts about this repeated red hat?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Danish Royal Family Remembers Princess Elisabeth

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On Monday, members of the Danish royal family gathered at Lyngby Church for the funeral of Princess Elisabeth who passed away on June 19. Queen Margrethe was joined by her two sisters, Princess Benedikte and Queen Anne-Marie, all in black hats to remember their cousin’s life.

Also in attendance was Elisabeth’s brother, Count Ingolf of Rosenborg, his wife Countess Sussie (below right) and their three nieces, Countesses Feodora, Camilla and Josephineof Rosenborg, daughters of Ingolf’s late brother Count Christian of Rosenborg, all in black hats. 
June 25, 2018 | Royal Hats 
Photos from The Danish Monarchy and Keld Navntoft/Ritzau Scanpix