Monthly Archives: September 2018

Queen Elizabeth’s Iconic Hats: 2010s

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 We’ve searched through six decades so far in our quest to find Queen Elizabeth’s most iconic hats and today, come to one some of you have been waiting for- our current decade!  When you think about which of the Queen’s hats are “widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence,”  which designs from the past nine years come to mind?  As always, please explain the rationale behind your suggestion and feel welcome to link to articles, youtube videos or photo galleries featuring a particular hat- please avoid pinterest links and any hotlinked photos.

So on to the hats- from 2010 until today, which of Queen Elizabeth’s hats do you think deserve the label of iconic?

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Photos from Getty as indicated

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hats Looking back to August 1980 and the 80th birthday celebrations of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Still in her turban era, the birthday hat she donned that day was a voluminous concoction of silk organza dotted ruffles and white feathers. For one’s 80th birthday, why not?!

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Photos from Getty as indicated

Pair of New Hats For Church in Scotland

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Queen Elizabeth was spotted en route to church in Scotland this morning in another new hat and it’s a beauty!

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The lime straw design follows a modified cloche shape with squared crown, narrow lime straw hatband and wide navy binding around the short brim. The hat is finished with lime and navy straw leaves and curled navy feathers. While I’m afraid there are no photos from the church showing the full ensemble, the views here show great promise. The hat’s punchy colour scheme is an eye catching one, the trim, while lavish, appears to be balanced and that navy brim edging surrounds the Queen’s face in a shade that suits her well. Lime green around the face isn’t always flattering (particularly with straw, where light filtering through the hat can cast a sickly green shadow) and this hat tackles that problem so well.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this is new (I thought it might be a reworked version of this hat but the straw weaves are entirely different)
The Queen was joined by the Prince of Wales and Princes Royal again today. Princess Anne surprised in what looks like a new light blue straw hat with cream hatband, brim piping and feather chrysanthemum blooms. The bottom photo below suggests a flat crown on this hat- a feature that concerns me. We’ll have to wait for a full view on this design.


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Embed from Getty Images

Designer: also unknown
Previously Worn: this hat is new
We’ve had some millinery surprises in Scotland over the past month- what do you think of these two designs?
Photos from Getty as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Last  Monday, Queen Silvia donned local Lovö dress, including a lace trimmed cap, to host the 20th annual “Pensioners Day” at Drottningholm Palace

The Danish monarchy shared several wonderful personal photos taken during the Crown Princely family’s recent trip to the Faroe Islands including this shot, taken by Crown Princess Mary, which shows the beautiful embroidery on Princess Isabella and Princess Josephine’s bonnets.

Princess Tessy looked fantastic in a faux jeweled headpiece yesterday while attending the second day of African fashion week in Toronto

Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko attended a memorial service for victims of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake yesterday in Tokyo. Princess Kiko repeated a black pillbox hat with small bow (Sankei)

Stephen Jones shared this amazing story yesterday about Aretha Franklin’s famous hat by Luke Song (the one she wore to President Obama’s inauguration)

The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:

Midnight blue silk bumper hat with stunning statement feathers from British brand Bundle McLaren
Love the shape and lines of this blush straw floral trimmed hat from Australian milliner Meg Rafter
Interesting shape on this blue and purple felt and straw design from Dutch milliner Myra van de Korput
Crimson silk bandeau with poppies and tulle veil by Australian milliner Louise MacDonald
Beautiful sheen on this green straw bow trimmed percher from Czech milliner Jolanta Kotabova
Black open weave, wide brimmed hat with red abaca flying bow from Aussie brand Millinery By Mel
Fascinating texture in this purple braided straw design by Dutch milliner Eugenie van Oirschot
Fuchsia straw teardrop percher with bow and veil from Madrid-based milliner Biliana Borissova
Headpiece of iridescent pansies with Swarovski crystal centers from Aussie brand Love Lotus Millinery
Dramatic black straw halo hat with hand stitched sequin & pearl trim from Australian Hats by Zarbella

 

 Royal Hats

Countess Camilla of Rosenborg married Ivan Ottesen in Lyngby last Sunday. Countess Camilla, who has four children from her first marriage, is the daughter of the late Count Christian of Rosenborg (he was a first cousin of Queen Margrethe). The marriage took place at Lyngby Church, the burial place of Camilla’s parents.

In other wedding themed news… the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding attire will go on display at Windsor Castle and Holyrood Palace this fall and it’s great to already see, via photos, greater detail of the tiara, dress and veil.

Sweet photo of Princess Elisabeth of Belgium and her siblings as she departs for two years of study in Wales

New portraits of Prince Nicolai released by the Danish monarchy on the occasion of his 19th birthday and the most adorable snaps of Prince Gabriel shared by the Swedish monarchy for his first birthday

Also off the cuteness scale were Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella yesterday in Monagasque traditional dress yesterday at Monaco’s annual picnic

Queen Sonja’s childhood home has been relocated, restored and opened as a museum earlier this week. She and King Harald used the opening as an opportunity to recreate one of their engagement photos, just in time for their 50th wedding anniversary

 

Dutch King Awards Willemsorde

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King Willem Alexander and Queen Máxima were in The Hague yesterday for a military ceremony awarding Willemsorde, the highest Dutch military decoration, to Major Roy de Ruiter.

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For this event, Queen Máxima wore a new pale pink straw, wide-brimmed picture hat with high sidesweep. The hat’s dramatic shape is balanced with a simple wide hatband tied into a flat bow that rests on one side of the brim. It’s a formulaic look for Máxima (large upswept hat + side chignon + dress with a statement feature + fab jewels) that we’ve seen on her numerous times. I think most of us agree that it is a great look for her… but has it become too familiar? Not even a new dress for this event prevents me from thinking I’ve seen this whole look before. It’s polished, regal and attractive (all good things) but fairly predictable.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne.
Previously Worn: While it looks exactly like the “Belissima” hat worn May 16, 2018 and June 20, 2017, it is actually a new design called the “Saintanna”
Many of us employ formulas to our daytime wardrobes- it’s an effective and efficient way to create and manage “our” look.   I just wonder if this particular formula is loosing impact because we’ve seen it on Máxima so many times before.  What do you think? Is it time for Queen Máxima and her stylist to experiment with some different looks?
Photos from Getty as indicated