Princess Alexandra has had a busy last few days two day-away visits in Shropshire and Suffolk, interestingly, in the same hat! Last Friday, July 20, she headed to Shropshire to visit the Mayfair Community Centre in Church Stretton and a teddy bear factory, Merrythought Limited, in Ironbridge. For these visits, she wore a pale grey straw hat with gently sloped cartwheel brim and a straight sided crown with domed top. We don’t often see Alexandra in completely unembellished hats but it’s smooth lines are a great counterpoint to her patterned jacket.
The hat reappeared Tuesday this week when Princess Alexandra visited opened the new FitzRoy UK Stepping Stones home, a supported living program for which she has been Royal Patron for 33 years, near Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk. She repeated the same grey straw hat but surprised by trimming it with a wide hatband in the same teal silk paisley print as her suit. While I’d have preferred a plain teal hatband (this repeat of the paisley but it into ‘matchy’ territory for me), it’s a quick makeover that transforms the hat from its outing just four days earlier.
Previously Worn: July 5, 2018; 1995; June 17, 1994; and undoubtedly numerous others as well
Royal Hats 
I actually prefer this hat just plain; it’s true versatility shines through then and doesn’t allow it to be subjected to an outfit when a matchy-matchy band is used. The shape is similar to most hats Alexandra wears, but it’s a shape that obviously has long flattered her, and the grey color works with practically anything!
I’m uncertain that the hat worn to Ascot in 1994 is the same hat as the pale grey one we see for July 20, 2018, on July 15, 2018, and in 1995; the 1994 suit seems to be a perfect colour match for the hat, and they both read on my screen as pale blue; does anyone else’s screen give that effect?
At any rate, the hat shape is indeed just right for the princess. It’s fun that Alexandra changes trims; and it’s great to see her revisit her 1995 “no-headband ” styling which I agree looks lovely, and modern too.
There’s a very clear side-view pic of the recent hat-minus-headband look on the Merrythought facebook page; click on “Photos”.
Isn’t this the same brightly covered suit at Ascot in 2017? The plumed hat is described as blush, but it looks very similar as well.
https://www.gettyimages.com/event/royal-ascot-2017-day-2-700068025#/greencoats-are-seen-on-day-2-of-royal-ascot-at-ascot-racecourse-on-picture-id699223508
Oops, colored suit, not covered.
https://royalhats.wordpress.com/2017/06/21/royal-ascot-2017-day-2-the-gloucesters-kents/
Hmm, interesting, Susannah. It’s hard to tell at that distance, with the Ascot pics, and the photo colour may not be accurate. At any rate, it’s fun to see a feather with the hatband!
Same suit, different hat (pale pink straw with a large feather spray).
Is this the same hat, but with different band on July 5th?
http://www.wlmht.nhs.uk/news-events/hrh-princess-alexandra-visits-cassel-hospital-in-ham-to-mark-the-nhss-70th-birthday/
I think so! That makes things even more interesting- now we know she has a hatband to match the first jacket as well.
I will admit that prior to joining this blog, I thought a lot more royals did a lot more “quick changes” like this than they actually do! (That was of course before I started learning about all the subtleties of crowns and brims!)
I really like the original trim. To me it reads more classic than dated.
I agree… I guess I meant more ‘dated’ in terms of recognition from wearing it in the mid 1990s, which then dates it to that era.
I agree. The original trim makes it a classic look. The matching-the-dress trim looks “after market.”
This elegant Princess would look good in a paper sack. Many of her hats and clothes are so classic that they easily stand the test of time. This hat is certainly one of them.
Good for Princess Alexandra – she’s Queen Mary’s granddaughter alright …she likes to “mess around ” with old things to make them look new again !!! 😊😊 looks like she made a good job of it to me 😉