to thirty-eight years ago yesterday, when Queen Elizabeth wore a vibrant red poppy covered hat by Simone Mirman on a visit to Morocco. I don’t suspect the Queen was as cheery as her hat this day after King Hassan II’s lack of punctuality caused some tension (watch the youtube clip at the bottom!).
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Photo from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
HM also wore this outfit and hat for a visit to the UAE in 1979
Thanks, Dianne. I’m not able to find a photo of the UAE wearing but it makes sense.
The one hat that does stick out in my mind from the 1979 UAE visit is this one.
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There’s a You Tube video on ’40 things that shaped the UAE’ and item 16 is about the invitations that the queen sent out on the tour of the UAE. About half way through the short vid you can see her in this outfit. Not sure if this link will work but you may be able to hunt it down https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS5yh1W3EF8
Sure enough, Diane, at 1:20 we see the poppies in motion! Thanks for the video.
July, 1979; Botswana
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Jimbo, you never cease to amaze me when you find images like this. May I ask: are you an archivist or librarian by trade? (I would ask HQ the same question, but we know the answer in her case is superpowers.)
Mitten Mary, I am neither one of the professions that you suggest. HatQueen is by far superior as archivist. Remember last year when many of her files and records were lost? I immediately flooded St. Anthony’s inbox with prayers and petitions for their restoration. And lo and behold, what was lost was soon found.
Your support and knowledge is far underplayed, Jimbo. But alas, the archives are rebuilt and all is again well with the world.
What would we do without St. Anthony?
This hat certainly seems to have sacrificed fashion for diplomacy — which, the video showed, proved to be needed in spades. I find this hat nowhere near as attractive as HM’s similar flower hats of the sixties — but The Queen has made a huge effort by sporting poppies, which are native to Morocco, in the colours of the Morrocan national flag (a green symbol on an all-red ground). Note the bowl of red geraniums on the coffee table, also reprising the national colours. Morocco is known for its geranium-growing industry.
Here we see that the “flags” on the left side of her hat are of the same fabric as her dress:
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Could this be the only time HM has had to stand up in an open car for a motorcade?! I wonder how she felt about that…
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We are definitely not amused….
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Here HM is gallantly attempting to look regal while eating the roast with her fingers, as custom dictates. Seems this visit required fortitude on a number of levels…
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Great photos, mcncln! Yes, HM displayed a great deal of fortitude on this trip!
Thanks for explaining the significance of poppies and red to Morocco. I thought this was an early appearance of Remembrance Day poppies, with an incongruously cheerful hat. The diplomatic explanation makes more sense, although it doesn’t make me like the hat any more.
Very interesting story. It is a miracle Q.E. managed to look so dignified under the circumstances and in That Hat!
And what’s that pinkish fluttery thing on the left side of the hat (visible in the video)?
It’s a bow made of the same printed red and white silk as her dress.
The green stems sticking up are hilarious!
thanks for sharing, never knew about this, must have been a lot of restrained on her part I think it is amazing that she kept her cool, as for the hat I agree with JamesB , synchronized swimming vibes.
I bet she was livid! And rightly so, it’s damned rude.
The hat is already about 15 years out of date by 1980. It looks like something you’d go synchronised swimming in!
It does have a distinct bathing cap vibe about it!