nearly 53 years to June 15, 1966 when Princess Grace of Monaco wore a green and white silk floral trimmed turban to Ascot. Don’t you love the hat with those orange sunglasses?! SO mid 1960s!
I don’t expect there will be many hats paired with sunglasses today but will trust you’ll share and discuss them in my absence here in the comments!
Photo from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
MrFitzroy was intrigued after reading Whitney’s comment, about whether there might be other royals in the photo with Princess Grace….while the woman in the pink dress is likely older than Sonia of Norway would have been at the time, the lady on the left possibly could be Juliana of the Netherlands….
So MrFitzroy set out to do a little sleuthing. No discovery about Juliana, but here is footage of the event showing (in grainy black and white) Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother in wonderful hats, and Princess Grace in the carriage, apparently in a different ensemble?– likely she attended multiple days.
sadly, the BEST hat at ASCOT 2018 was NOT included in your review of that occasion: the sophisticated black & white hat Duchess Meghan wore.
It most certainly was included at the time, however, it was not chosen as the top new hat at Ascot and as such, did not move forward here.
https://royalhats.net/2018/07/20/favourite-new-royal-hat-ascot-2018/
Just wondering – Is the lady in the pink dress on the right Queen Sonia and what chance the one on the left in the pink flowers is Queen/Princess Juliana?
Good question. The lady in pink is not Queen Sonia- I thought it might be Princess Irene of Bourbon-Parma (Princess Beatrix’s younger sister) but I don’t think it is. I also don’t think the lady on the left is Queen Juliana.
That is quite the helmet on the far left!
MrFitzroy actually has a secret love for these flower covered wonders (when well done and worn with the right ensemble — ala Princess Grace), and wishes there were a way to update and modernize them — which wouldn’t feel kitchy or ‘ironically retro’ in today’s world. Somehow it seems that Princess Beatrice, or The Countess of Snowdon (to name two) could almost pull it off, in the right context!
Ah yes, the bathing cap era. These are hats that one definitely needs to see close up, so that one can appreciate the detail and quality (for example I remember seeing some of the Queen’s similar hats at one of the Buckingham Palace summer exhibitions). From afar their appeal is less evident…
A closer shot, taken June 1, 1970
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-grace-kelly-princess-consort-of-monaco-01-june-1970-31284169.html
Very interesting. There is more to this hat than meets the eye at first sight.
Thank you for sharing, Jimbo
Interesting to note that she was wearing eyeglasses in that indoor shot — you don’t often see royal women wearing eyeglasses, then or now.
What a great view! Thanks, Jimbo!
They do indeed look like swim caps! My mother definitely had one of these, but now I can’t honestly remember whether it was a real hat or actually a swim cap! I love it when hats are so closely tied to an era that there’s no mistaking the time frame when you see a photo.
I am smiling at the hat on the left. The bright pink floral number. It looks like she inadvertently watered it with plant fertilizer and it’s growing madly upwards while she remains oblivious. I remember my older sister wearing such hats – she even made some of her own headwear! Somehow Princess Grace managed to look chic, no matter what the current style. Some women have the gift.
Oh happy days! I love the warm, sunny atmosphere in this picture (I’m writing this while looking out over our garden covered in the first snow of the year). Princess Grace looks lovely, as always.
The lady on the left with the hot pink flowered bee hive isn’t half bad either!
Could this photo be any more 60s? It looks like it’s frkm a film. The synchronised swimming hats sure date it, but then Grace looked amazing in anything.
I think these sorts of flowery turbans might be my least favourite hat designs of all time on anybody. I have never seen one I liked. They look so dowdy and I just think they always look like cheap swimming caps.