And then there were eleven.
Eleven beautiful hats, from the studios of eight different milliners, that made first appearances in 2011 (on eight different royal heads!). In felt, fabric and straw, the shapes range from cloche to saucer to percher to wide-brimmed picture with stunning adornments that include silk abacca loops, handmade silk flowers, curved quills, veils, feathers and a branch of cherry blossoms.
Here are your ten finalists for Favourite New Royal Hat of 2018:
Queen Elizabeth’s dark green squared cloche with knot & quills by Rachel Trevor Morgan worn Jan 21
Queen Elizabeth’s burgundy hat with cherry blossoms and feathers by Angela Kelly worn Mar 12
Queen Elizabeth’s burgundy hat with cherry blossoms and feathers by Angela Kelly worn Mar 12
Autumn Philips’ ice blue Juliette Botterill button percher with silk abacca looped bow worn April 1
Lady Sarah Chatto’s textured navy straw mushroom brim hat by Stephen Jones worn May 19
Lady Sarah Chatto’s textured navy straw mushroom brim hat by Stephen Jones worn May 19
Princess Beatrice’s black & white saucer with black roses & feathers by Sally Ann Provan worn June 21
Duchess of Cambridge’s aqua Juliette Botterill sideswept saucer with flowers, veil & abacca bows worn June 9
Lady Kitty Spencer’s burgundy felt Philip Treacy percher with silk rose spray & veil worn June 16
Duchess of Cambridge’s aqua Juliette Botterill sideswept saucer with flowers, veil & abacca bows worn June 9
Lady Kitty Spencer’s burgundy felt Philip Treacy percher with silk rose spray & veil worn June 16
Princess Eugenie’s straw picture hat imprinted with leaves & flowers by Bee Smith worn June 9
Queen Máxima’s turquoise sidswept picture hat with raw edges by Fabienne Delvigne worn July 2
Queen Máxima’s turquoise sidswept picture hat with raw edges by Fabienne Delvigne worn July 2
Duchess of Cambridge’s raspberry velvet percher with silk flower spray and veil by Philip Treacy worn Oct 12
Autumn Phillips’ emerald felt crescent-formed percher with bow by Sally Anne Provan worn Dec 25
Autumn Phillips’ emerald felt crescent-formed percher with bow by Sally Anne Provan worn Dec 25
You can access original feature posts on each hat, with additional photos, description and discussion, by clicking on each photo or on the links below each pair. This poll will remain open for two weeks until Sunday, January 27 at midnight GMT. Each computer or mobile device may vote once every twelve hours for as many hats as you wish. Happy voting!
Photos from Joe Giddens/PA Images, WPA Pool, Max Mumby/Indigo, Max Mumby/Indigo, Steve Parsons/PA Images and Mike Marsland via Getty; Geoff RobinsonPhotography/REX/Shutterstock; Max Mumby/Indigo, Patrick van Katwijk, Pool/Samir Hussein and UK Press Pool via Getty
Hello there, I would have thought that Lady Kitty Spencer, lovely though she is, shouldn’t be in the poll because she is an aristocrat, not a royal.
From time to time, this blog also features hats that appear on aristocratic heads. This was one of those times.
I went with Princess Beatrice’s saucer for my first vote. That herringbone is almost mesmerizing. The shape is great, and the under-brim trim balances it so well. Another of my favorites is Autumn Phillips’ percher by the same milliner. Sally Anne Provan is newish on the royal hat scene, but already making a good impression. Hope to see more of her creations in 2019.
2018 is the first year we saw Sally Ane Provan’s designs on royal heads and two have made it to this poll- impressive, indeed!