Yearly Archives: 2018

Belgium National Day 2018

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The Belgian royal family celebrated their country’s national holiday today with attendance at a Te Deum mass and military parade .

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Queen Mathilde was a vision in red for today’s festivities, repeating her straw pyramid saucer hat trimmed with a stylized leaf in abacca that swirls around the top of the hat.

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On its own, this is such a great hat on Queen Mathilde- the colour is lovely on her and the scale is large enough to make a significant statement without being overwhelming. I thought the hat was elevated by its pairing with Mathilde’s applique lace dress, giving the overall look much texture and pattern while still being beautifully coordinated. The open boat neckline of the dress works beautifully with the shape of the hat, as does Mathilde’s soft updo and minimal jewellery. It’s a great hat made even better by impeccable styling. SO GOOD.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. At its intial outing, the milliner called it the “Chinatown” design but a press release issued yesterday names the hat the “Mystery” design. 
Previously Worn: June 25, 2015

Princess Astrid wore military uniform and cap, as she usually does each year for the military parade.

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Princess Claire wore the most interesting hat of the day, a white straw disc with shallow rounded crown, trimmed with large, red straw open circles and red lace applique. It’s an unusual design that coordinated well with Claire’s red floral jacket without overly matching- both pieces holding their own but still working together. It’s not my favourite hat shape but it certainly gets bonus points for creativity, something I’m always happy to see in a royal hat.

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Designer: Marie-Sophie de Halleux
Previously Worn: this hat is new
Thought about these hats in Brussels today?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Carrying Hats Into Royal Life

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 Reader Matthew recently asked, “Are there any occasions anyone can recall where a new royal bride wore hats for official appearances that she already owned in her non-royal life?”

Good question, Matthew! For the purpose of clarity, I’m going to consider “non-royal life” as everything before the royal engagement!

A quick survey of continental European royals has brought few examples, likely because hat wearing beyond casual or sporting designs in mainstream European culture is not common. Aside from Princess Mette-Marit repeating a navy knit ski hat, Sophia Helqvist borrowing one of Crown Princess Victoria’s hats for Princess Lilian’s funeral and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy borrowing one of Grand Duchess Maria Teresa’s hats for Princess Estelle’s christening in May 2012 (neither which has been repeated, so they don’t really count!), I’ve only come up with one such repeat:

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Black textured straw hat with lace trim worn Nov 5, 2002 to the Melbourne cup and again in Aarhus, Jul 26, 2004

In the UK, however, where hats are more commonly worn for weddings and other events (and several multi-year courtships saw royal girlfriends attend public events), I’ve come up with a few hats worn by royal brides both before their engagements and after their marriages:

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Tall brown felt hat with burgundy velvet trim worn Nov 20, 1997 and Jan 31, 2003

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Chocolate felt hat with faux fur brim from Lock & Co. worn Dec 8, 2002 and Mar 14, 2012

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Black felt Philip Treacy sidesweep with signature bow worn Dec 15, 2006 and Nov 12, 2017

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Ecru straw wide brimmed Philip Treacy design with feathers worn June 2, 2003 and June 9, 2005

OK magazine reported in this article last weekend that the Duchess of Sussex had brought her much worn Madewell fedora into her royal life, incorrectly citing its appearance at Wimbledon. The panama Meghan actually wore to Wimbledon was a finer quality hat from French millinery brand Maison Michel- the Virginie design.

I thus appeal to the marvelous millinery memories of you, dearest readers- can you remember a royal bride bringing a hat from her pre-engagement life forward into her royal one? I imagine these two Philip Treacy designs, worn in 2003 and 2004 by the then Camilla Parker Bowles, were repeated at some point…
Embed from Getty Images  June 1, 2004 in PT | Royal Hats
Photos from Getty as indicated; and Getty Images

Favourite New Royal Hat: Ascot 2018

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While there were some wonderful repeated royal hats at Ascot this year, this annual racing event brings us the most new designs seen in a single week each calendar year.This year was no exception with 26 royal hats (and several more noble ones!) making a debut during the races. Of these 26 new hats, 16 were received, based on your comments, as particularly successful.  We turn our attention now to these 16 hats for a second review to choose two favorites.

Please click on each photo or caption to link back to original feature posts with additional views, information and discussion on each hat. Here are the 16 new hats you admired most during Ascot this year, shown in the order they appeared:
1.     2.
Queen Elizabeth’s yellow crepe & straw hat with blue hydrangeas by Angela Kelly worn Day 1
Countess of Wessex’s pale pink saucer with black windowpane crin by Jane Taylor worn on Day 1 
3.      4. 
Duchess of Sussex’s white straw and black crin fluted Philip Treacy saucer hat worn on Day 1
Princess Beatrice’s blue straw Juliette Botterill saucer with straw & crin twists worn on Day 1
    5.     6.
Princess Haya’s cream crin disc with oversize silk flower trim by Philip Treacy worn Day 1
Princess Eugenie’s ice blue Emily London wide brimmed hat with bergère crown & tassel worn Day 1
7.June 20, 2018 in RTM | Royal Hats      8.June 20, 2018 | Royal Hats
Queen Elizabeth’s pale blue straw hat with silk peony blooms by Rachel Trevor Morgan worn Day 2
Duchess of Gloucester’s gold straw picture hat with crin brim edge & blue flowers worn Day 2
9.     10.June 20, 2018 in JT | Royal Hats   
Autumn Philips in a blue straw Philip Treacy saucer with white cut feather trim worn on Day 2
Countess of Wessex’s aqua straw picture hat with pleated crin overlay by Jane Taylor worn on Day 2
11.     12.June 21, 2018 in RTM | Royal Hats
Princess Haya’s cream straw calot with crystal studded veil by Philip Treacy worn Day 2
Queen Elizabeth’s bright pink Rachel Trevor Morgan sidesweep with flowers & feathers on Day 3
13.     14.
Princess Beatrice’s black & white saucer with black roses & feathers by Sally Ann Provan on Day 3
Lady Gabriella Windsor’s fuchsia straw Philip Treacy picture hat with twists worn Day 3 
    15.June 22, 2018 in AK | Royal Hats     16.
Queen Elizabeth’s lime green crepe and straw hat with pink flowers & beads by Angela Kelly on Day 4
Queen Elizabeth’s grey & green snakeskin printed straw hat with green feathers by Angela Kelly worn Day 5
This poll will remain open until next Sunday, June 29  at midnight GMT. As in the past, each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. Happy voting!

Favourite Repeated Royal Hat: Ascot 2018

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Tuesday’s great post from longtime reader ChicagoChuck about his new Ascot hat this year reminded me that we need to pick our favourite royal Ascot hats! While this week of racing sees many new millinery designs, there were some repeated hats which, based on your comments, stood out as well.

Eight designs were met with particular praise – two sidesweeps, two saucers, a trilby, a cocktail percher, a boater and a classic picture hat- and it’s now time to take a closer look at each to determine a favourite. The winner of this poll will be put forward as another semi-finalist for Readers’ Favourite Repeated Royal Hat of 2018.

Please click on each photo or caption to link back to original feature posts with additional views, information and discussion on each hat. Here are these eight repeated Ascot beaties, shown in the order they were worn:
1.      2.June 20, 2018 in PT | Royal Hats
Princess Anne’s almond straw hat with sideswept brim, feathers and curling quills worn on Day 1
Duchess of Cornwall’s angular ecru straw sidesweep with lace trim by Philip Treacy worn Day 2
3.June 20, 2018 in RTM | Royal Hats      4.June 21, 2018 | Royal Hats   
Princess Alexandra’s Rachel Trevor Morgan cream straw hat with veil and mist green flowers worn Day 2
Princess Anne’s turquoise straw trilby with feather trim worn on Day 3 
Countess of Snowdon’s textured cream straw Stephen Jones saucer with grey feathers worn Day 3
Duchess of Gloucester’s emerald green straw boater hat worn on Day 3
Duchess of York’s black straw Philip Treacy vertical saucer with royal blue roses & twists worn Day 4
Autumn Phillips’ magenta straw cocktail hat with rose & quill twists by Juliette Botterill worn Day 5
This poll will remain open until Sunday, July 29 at midnight GMT. As in the past, each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. Good luck!

Centenary of Deaths of Russian Imperial Royal Family

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Yesterday marked the 100 anniversary of the deaths of Tsar Nicholas II and his family and the end of the Russian Imperial royal dynasty.  Commemorations were held in St. Petersburg, including the unveiling of a memorial statue of the late czar, his wife and children, a memorial service and the reburial of remains of two children, Alexei and Maria, with the rest of the family.

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Prince and Princess Michael of Kent attended, the princess in a black lace veil (click on bottom photo below and scroll to last photo. Also in attendance was Princess Olga Romanoff, great niece of Nicholas II (granddaughter of the Tsar’s younger sister Grand Duchess Xenia), in an elegant black straw pillbox hat trimmed with dotted veil, crin leaves and bows by British milliner Laura Cathcart.



In Yekaterinburg, large memorial procession marked the route from the murder site to a monastery. Self-proclaimed Princess Olga Kulikovskaya-Romanova, widow of  Tsar Nicholas’ nephew Tikhon Nikolaevich Kulikovsky (son of Grand Duchess Olga) attended the procession in a purple straw cloche variation with flat topped crown wrapped in a wide lighter purple hatband.
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Even a hundred years on, the complexity of factors surrounding this tragic royal event is difficult to comprehend. This is, however, a major anniversary and that’s why I decided to cover it. I also recommend this this interview with Princess Olga that appeared in The Telegraph back in March which gives interesting insight into the post-Imperial life experienced by members of the Romanoff family who were able to leave Russia.
Photos from social media and Getty as indicated