On Monday, Princess Nobuko wore a white hat to attend the 130th anniversary of the Japanese Red Cross Society’s Branch in Gunma.
Princess Hisako started out this week in Aichi attending an annual conference on nutrition and dietary improvement. For this event, she wore a cream hat with square crown and curved brim, trimmed with lichen green hatbands and side embellishment.
On Tuesday, Princess Hanako wore a yellow pillbox with embellished sides for the 30th anniversary of the Praemium Imperiale Arts Prize.
On Wednesday, the Duke of Sussex was in military uniform and cap again to lay a wreath at the National War Memorial in Fiji.
Also on Wednesday, Princess Mako celebrated her 27th birthday and was spotted arriving at the Imperial Royal Palace in Tokyo to visit her grandparents in a bumper hat covered in beige-pink patterned silk
Yesterday, Princess Ayako worshipped at the Three Palace Sanctuaries in advance of her wedding next week. While She was in traditional dress (and hairstyle), her mother, Princess Hisako, sisters Noriko Senge and Princess Tsuguko and cousin Sayako Kurada all wore white hats.
Today, members of the Takamado and Mikasa families donned brimless black hats to commemorate the second anniversary since Prince Mikasa’s death (Sankei)
Princess Margriet in a red pouf fascinator today to christen a reconstructed expedition ship
The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Amazing gravity-defying ombre turban from London-based Awon Golding
Winter white felt angular cloche with exuberant pheasant feathers from British milliner Annabel Allen
Turquoise and tan feather headpiece with net veil from Australian milliner Neil Grigg
Red silk ruched bandeau with pearl trim from British milliner Laura Cathcart
Pale percher with statement sunburst spiky trim from Irish milliner Laura Hanlon
Winter white felt angular cloche with exuberant pheasant feathers from British milliner Annabel Allen
Turquoise and tan feather headpiece with net veil from Australian milliner Neil Grigg
Red silk ruched bandeau with pearl trim from British milliner Laura Cathcart
Pale percher with statement sunburst spiky trim from Irish milliner Laura Hanlon
Navy wide brimmed design with red jin sin twists from Australian brand Millinery Jill
Two designs from British milliner Bundle McLaren- a wonderfully modern take on a pillbox in oxblood
with a flying bow and a chic black beret percher with silver dipped curling quills
Pale grey sculpted French lace bandeau tiara with dotted net veil from British label Catherine Walker & Co.
Navy straw percher with copper-tipped navy goose feathers from Irish milliner Theresa Nugent
Dramatic, 1950s-inspired blocked straw saucer covered in velvet on top and silk and graphic,
Art-Deco patterned lace on the bottom from from Texan milliner Milli Starr
with a flying bow and a chic black beret percher with silver dipped curling quills
Pale grey sculpted French lace bandeau tiara with dotted net veil from British label Catherine Walker & Co.
Navy straw percher with copper-tipped navy goose feathers from Irish milliner Theresa Nugent
Dramatic, 1950s-inspired blocked straw saucer covered in velvet on top and silk and graphic,
Art-Deco patterned lace on the bottom from from Texan milliner Milli Starr
And from Melbourne-based milliner Louise MacDonald, these wonderfully vibrant and textural bandeau headpieces of woven ribbon.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit shared this week that she has been diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis. While she is optimistic about treatment and the future, the illness will undoubtedly continue to impact her and her royal role. Living with chronic disease is not easy and as such, I request that all future comments about the Crown Princess’ millinery choices be framed with compassion.
I didn’t realize Queen Sonja was an accomplished artist- this article about her artistic endeavors and printmaking career also contains insight into her family life- it’s a fascinating read (Telegraph)
This week had an abundance of state banquets (in Portugal, Fiji and the UK) with some stunning royal looks – including Queen Mathilde here and here, the Norwegian royals, the Danish Royals and Princess Ayako at the formal Choken-no-Gi ceremony- likely the last time we’ll see her in a tiara.
Royal Hats 
Several good things here–
I love Princess Magriet’s fascinator! I’m not usually a fascinator person but that one has some heft and I really like the flowery thing and all the texture.
Best wishes for the health of CP MM and the Norways. CPMM knocked it out of the park just last week in her amethyst tiara and a dark purple dress at a Norwegian Parliament dinner. I love the ribbon headband bandeaus hat queen shared above and CP MM frequently wears headbands- maybe she could try one of those! the bright colors would look lovely on her.
Two State Visits coming up in the Netherlands:
From Singapore on 21 – 22 November and from on 10-11 December.
Maxima always wears great hats for them and usually a different hat every day.
…from Cabo Verde on 10-11 December.
Loved the lace bandeau/tiara! I heart is sad for CP Mette Marit and family!
It was a great week for hats. Thanks for linking to that feature about Queen Sonja, HatQueen. What an accomplished woman!
“I request that all future comments about the Crown Princess’ millinery choices be framed with compassion.”
While i feel for Mette-Marit and wish her and her family all the best and plenty of strength for coping with this disease, i believe it being fundamentally wrong to water down sartorial comments to a level of compassion which would result in a complete lack of impartiality. It would be preferable to not cover her at all in the future. Otherwise, most comments should read similar to ‘this ting on her head is butt-ugly, but since she suffers from a disease, i shall give her a pass’.
Fashion is one thing, health a different one.
By all means- speak to what you like or don’t like about a hat or headpiece. What I don’t want to see is another, “Why didn’t she wear a REAL hat?” In addition to this diagnosis, the Crown Princess has suffered chronic headaches and Benign Positional Vertigo over past years, both health issues that presumably impacted her millinery choices (and would justify her move toward minimal millinery). In that regard, there does appear to be a connection between fashion and her health.
And even if there’s not a direct connection? There’s enough lack of compassion across the board in the world right now. I want this space to be different.
So much happening. It’s hard to keep up.
Great to see the Hitachi couple again and Princesses Nobuko and Hisako out and about.
Sad news from Norway. Best wishes to CP Mette-Marit and her family.
Princess Ayako’s tiara and necklace are beautiful. Not exact mirror. She’s keeping her 2 honorary patronages, that’s a first for a married princess-turned-commoner.
Lovely to see Noriko and Sayako again. I’m guessing that’s a Mikasa princess (Yoko?) behind the pillar. I feel a bit odd for Princess Mako. Her wedding was supposed to be November 4th.
Queen Maxima: WOW