I’m trilled to pass over the reigns of Royal Hats to a longtime reader, Baxter, whose encyclopedic knowledge of Queen Elizabeth’s hats has helped me more times than I could possibly count. He’s going to have a go at the role of millinery stylist to Queen Elizabeth for the day! 

Greetings, fellow royal hat fans!  I have been reading this blog for several years, having found it shortly after it began.  As a fan of the old Mad Hattery blog I was thrilled that this subject was taken up by another blogger.  Back in 2013, after reading some comments here stating that the Queen did not redo any of her hats, I contributed what I think was the very first reader guest post – it features comparisons of hats that have been modified over the years.

I am so grateful to Hat Queen for all the work that she put into this blog so that we can share our thoughts about royal chapeaus.  If I had my way, the Queen would wear a gorgeous wide-brimmed Rachel Trevor Morgan hat for every outing, but of course that might get a bit boring.  Last summer I greatly enjoyed seeing all the guest posts and your selections of the Queen’s favorite hats which included many I would have selected.  These posts inspired me to dust off the old Photoshop and attempt to see what the Queen would look like in hats made by other milliners and in styles we do not see Her Majesty wearing much today.

Should the Queen don creations by Britain’s most famous milliner, Philip Treacy?  I think Her Majesty looks smashing in these designs.  Or has this look become too associated with the Duchess of Cornwall?

Here’s a natural straw hat by Lock & Co. with a lovely shape.  I think this is a nice change from seeing the same color from brim to hem, especially when it is very saturated.

This beautiful hat, the Dulcie from Annabel Allen Millinery, reminds me of hats the Queen wore in the early 2000s. Its shape is similar to some recent Angela Kelly creations but the trim is so much more elegant.

For the first five decades or so of the Queen’s reign we saw a wide variety of hat types but that has not been the case in the past few years.  Turbans, toques, pillboxes, and the like have all but disappeared from Her Majesty’s wardrobe despite still being made by many milliners today.

How about this modern felt turban from Jane Taylor?

In my opinion, this feathered pillbox from Rosie Olivia suits the Queen perfectly.

Another Treacy hat, but this one in a brimless design.  Perhaps a bit too modern?

This is the Scandal design from Lock & Co. It’s actually a headband but I have reimagined it here as a pillbox.  To be honest I am a bit undecided on this one, but I do love the idea of a hat made of a printed fabric worn with a solid colored outfit.

Finally, strictly for laughs, I could not do a photoshop post without seeing what the Queen would look like in the most infamous royal hat of recent times, the Philip Treacy concoction worn by Princess Beatrice to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding.  I am not sure Her Majesty would be quite so amused if presented with this design!

Please let me know what you think of these suggestions in the comments.  During the Queen’s summer break I am planning a couple more posts.  One features tweaks I would make to hats already worn and another will show hats I would like to have seen on major occasions.

Thanks again to Hat Queen for allowing me to share my ideas with you all!

No Baxter- thank YOU. Many of the hats Angela Kelly designs for the Queen are covered in fabric (especially the winter ones) and I really love the idea of a patterned silk on the hat contrasted with a solid colour on her outfit, rather than the same fabric head to hem. Your suggestion to break up saturated coloured ensembles with a natural straw hat is also a fantastic one I wish we’d see happen. This has been such a fun post- my sincere thanks to Baxter and his amazing millinery imagination!

 We continue our search for Queen Elizabeth’s most iconic hats with a peek into the 1960s. When you think about this decade, which of the Queen’s hats fit the criteria of “widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence”? As always, feel welcome to link to articles, youtube videos or photo galleries featuring a particular hat but please avoid pinterest links and any hotlinked photos.

Embed from Getty Images  Embed from Getty Images

Photos from Getty as indicated