Yearly Archives: 2018

Anniversary and Social Launch Bring Out Dutch Hats

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So far this week, we have seen both Princess Beatrix and Queen Máxima attend engagements in hats. On Sunday, Princess Beatrix took part in the 700 anniversary celebrations of the religious confraternity Illustrious Brotherhood of Our Blessed Lady at  St. John’s Cathedral in s’Hertogenbosch. For this event, she repeated wore a large black straw hat with double rolled bumper brim and flat crown. The hat is wrapped in wide, curved straw band that gives added textural contrast and interest to the familiar shape- a shape that forms a characteristic millinery look for Princess Beatrix that we’ve all come to associate with her (and only her!).

Designer: Suzanne Moulijn
Previously Worn: February 11, 2015; November 15, 2011; August 29, 2009; April 12, 2008

This morning, Queen Máxima launched an anti-loneliness campaign at a related congress in Enschede. For this event, she topped her purple appliqued dress with her large, natural straw picture hat with upswept brim. You can see all the outfits  Máxima has paired with this hat over the years over at this post (and I’ll update photos here as soon as better ones become available).

Opening of Swedish Parliament 2018

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The Swedish royal family attended the opening of Swedish Parliament Riksdagen yesterday in Stockholm, dressed, as they are each year, in black and white.

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Queen Silvia used the occasion to debut a new hat. The teardrop shaped calot is covered in textured white silk crepe with seam lines finished in fine, double stitching, and trimmed with a pair of curling, trimmed black feathers and a black velvet flower. The graphic trim works well on the hat, given a modern and graphic element to the traditional shape. Queen Silvia carries these modified calot shapes so well and the scheme of this one gives it a more contemporary feel than some of her other hats in this shape.

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Designer: Kerstin Carlefalk
Previously Worn: This hat is new 
While a clear shot of Crown Princess Victoria’s black and white headpiece eludes me (click on the twitter link below to open a gallery with better views), she wore the same striped bow she wore to this event in 2014. 

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Designer: Evelina Persson
Previously Worn: Sep 30, 2014
Princess Sofia repeated her black velvet bandeau with knotted bow. It’s a fine enough headpiece but I wish both Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Sofia would fill their hat closets with a selection of small, embellished black designs (take a peek at the Countess of Wessex’s black perchers for inspiration, ladies!) to pull from for this event in coming years. 
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Designer: Eivy Flodin
Previously Worn: May 11, 2017

Thoughts about these black and white designs yesterday? 

Photos from Getty and social media as indicated

Hats From the Past

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Royal Hats While much has been said about Queen Maxima’s ensemble at Prinsjesdag earlier this week, a look back through history at this event shows it is not the only time a strong (and, um, unsuccessful) millinery statement has been made. Case in point- forty years ago today when Queen Juliana and Princess Beatrix appeared in the balcony in memorable looks-  one in particular that defies description

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I’ll be away from Royal Hats the next few days- see you back next Wednesday.

Photo from Getty as indicated

Prinsjesdag 2018

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Members of the Dutch Royal family celebratated Prinsjesdag today, the start of a new session of Dutch parliament. King Willem-Alexander, who addressed a joint session of the Dutch Senate and House of Representatives, was joined in The Hague by Queen Máxima, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien. As in years past, the traditional 18th century court dress code was followed, giving us the unique opportunity to see the women in long gowns and hats.

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Queen Máxima used the event today to experiment with a large saucer hat- a shape we’ve not seen her wear very much. This design, in pale buff straw, features a sharp diagonal upsweep and is trimmed with grey and pink silk flowers nestled on the wearer’s head and a pair of curling pheasant feathers. On its own, I think this could be a good design for Máxima, who certainly has the ability to carry it off. Its pairing, however, with this voluminous gown and hair, seems off balance. Perhaps a sleeker hairstyle and placement of the hat at a less dramatic upsweep (bringing the top brim down a touch) would work better?

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Designer: unknown. Gown is by Italian designer Luisa Beccaria
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Princess Laurentien topped her teal and pink brocade sheath gown and coat with a hat in the same hue.image


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Made of three shades of layered sinamay straw to match the depth and dimension of the teal background on the gown and coat, the large button percher base takes on a wonderfully luminous glow. The hat is finished with a pointed petal flower made of the gown’s fabric- a touch you’d think would make it overly matchy but that adds textural contrast. The ensemble’s rich colour and cut of each piece flatter Laurentien beautifully, making this one of my favourite overall looks for her in a long while.
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Designer: Eudia. Gown by Hardies Couture
Previously Worn: This hat is new
The dress code of this event usually brings us some dramatic looks and this year did not disappoint! What do you think of this year’s pair of Prinsjesdag hats?

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You can see all of the hats Queen Máxima has worn to Prinsjesdag over the years at this post

Photos from Getty as indicated