Monthly Archives: April 2019

Abdication Marks Start of Reiwa Era

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The 30-year Heisei reign officially ended today with the abdication of Emperor Akihito. The abdication ceremony was held in the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.


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Crown Princess Masako looked radiant in an exquisite new hat. The design features a domed crown covered in pearlescent silk and a lace covered bumper brim- the same scroll patterned lace as was on her gown. The hat shape works well with the high collared gown and the pieces combine to make an elegant and very regal look.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: This hat news

Princess Kiko repeated a bumper hat in palest celery green silk. The raised brim is overlaid in the same lace as on Kiko’s gown. I prefer Kiko in more saturated colours but it’s not surprising to see her in a pale hue for such high profile events. The lace overlay on the hat’s brim provides a lovely, textural frame around Kiko’s face.


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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: December 23, 2014

Princess Mako repeated a cuffed calot hat covered in the same ice blue floral printed jacquard silk as her gown. The blue silk flowers that adorned this hat at its first outing are visible in the photo below.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: January 15, 2016

Princess Kako repeated a royal blue bumper hat with brim edge embroidered with the same royal blue bugle beads that trim the basque waist of her gown.

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: January 10, 2015

Princess Hanako wore a pillbox hat with domed crown, wrapped in a pleated silk wrap (or bumper brim?) and trimmed with a multi-looped bow. I believe this hat is new (the gown was paired, at its last outing, with a different hat). Princess Hisako repeated the deep purple bumper hat with ostrich feather pouf at the back we last saw her wear at the 2015 New Year’s Poetry Readings. Princess Tsuguko repeated the burgundy silk covered beret she wore for the 30th anniversary celebration of the emperor’s reign back in February. This view shows lavish floral and feather trim on the side of the design and a burgundy net veil that, I suspect, swaths the entire hat.

Princess Yoko topped her mint green silk gown with a matching veiled percher hat worn at a wonderfully rakish angle on the side of her head. The ensemble has a vintage, 1940s vibe to it that she wears very well. Princess Akiko repeated her lime-yellow silk gown with matching bumper hat with what looks like inlaid silk stripes on the side of the raised brim. Princess Nobuko paired her pale sage green silk gown with a matching brimless hat trimmed with a large ecru silk flower and veil. Princess Yuriko (Yoko and Akiko’s grandmother) repeated her deep eggplant purple, low profile bumper hat with bow at the back.

The Imperial royals know how to do retrained, elegant looks better than any other royal house and today was no exception. You can watch highlights of today’s abdication ceremony here along with commentary and an interesting overview of the Emperor’s life (start at 12:00). In recent days, NHK World also broadcast a 3-part documentary on Emperor Emeritus Akihito that I found informative, enjoyable and highly recommend:

Part I: Emperor of A Defeated Nation
Part 2: The Two Of Us
Part 3: The Symbol Of A Nation

The Reiwa reign of Emperor Naruhito began at the stroke of midnight (Japanese time) on May 1. His enthronement ceremony will follow tomorrow.

Photos from Getty as indicated; Kyodo News, Kyodo News and Kyodo News via Getty; NHK World

Emperor’s Final Ceremony At Three Palace Sanctuaries

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After thirty years on the Chrysanthem Throne, Emperor Akihito’s reign came to a peaceful close today with a series of ceremonies. The day began with the Emperor paying respects at the Three Palace Sanctuaries at the Imperial Palace grounds in Tokyo. The shrine is the sanctuary of Amaterasu-omikami, the legendary sun goddess from whom the imperial line is said to have descended.

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For this “Taiirei-Tojitsu-Kashikodokoro-Omae-no-gi” ceremony, Emperor Akihito was dressed in the traditional “sokutai” outfit that only Imperial royals may wear. The sokutai centers around a voluminous draped outer robe with long, wide sleeves and a cinched waist; only the emperor may wear brown while other royals wear other colours, depending on their title. The robe often includes bird motifs (birds were considered divine envoys in ancient times) and the silk of the emperor’s robe is woven with a mythological Chinese phoenix to symbolize the arrival of peace.

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Topping the sokutai is the black “kanmuri” hat which consists of a flat, pillbox-like base and a towering, monochrome patterned tail at the back. For the ceremony, the emperor and other male royals carry a “shaku”- narrow, embellished wooden plate-like scepter.

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In this ceremony, Emperor Akihito read the “otsugebumi,” an explanation, that he would be taking part in a an abdication ceremony to pass the Chrysanthemum Throne to his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito. Akihito also read out the document at two other sanctuaries on the Imperial Palace grounds that honor past emperors and other Shinto gods.

Japanese media reported that that ten other imperial family members also donned traditional dress for this ceremony at the three sanctuaries. Photographs of this are not publicly available, although there are shots of the Akishino family arriving at the Imperial Palace. Princess Kiko, Princess Mako and Princess Kako all wore ivory silk covered bumper hats.

Special thanks to Prisma for sharing resources (including this article) explaining today’s traditional clothing.

Photos from Getty as indicated; The Asahi Shimbun and Kyodo News via Getty

Princess Benedikte Opens Birthday Exhibition

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On Saturday, Princess Benedikte opened an exhibition at Koldinghus Museum in Kolding in honour of her 75th birthday. The exhibition, entitled, “Princess of the Time: Princess Benedikte and 75-year Danish History” includes jewelry, gowns, clothing and other personal items and will be open until November 3 this year. For this opening, she wore a new hat in lilac straw with rounded crown and wide, sidesweeping brim.The design is simply trimmed with a straw hatband.

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It’s a very good hat- impeccably finished in the loveliest of summery colours. I particularly like the sweeping scale of the brim which has wonderful presence. There might be some slight improvement with a less bulbous, rounded rounded shape on the crown but it’s a minor quibble.

Designer: Mathilde Thoe Førster
Previously Worn: This hat is new

A sweet note- the day in Kolding finished with an equestrian show that included the surprise appearance of Princess Beneditkte’s horse, Digby, ridden by her daughter Princess Nathalie. Digby and Nathalie rode successfully to a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the horse has not performed publicly, until yesterday, since his retirement in 2012.

It’s lovely to see Princess Benedikte again, even better in a new hat! I’m sure you join me in wishing her a very happy 75th birthday today.

Photos from Getty as indicated; Claus Fisker/Scanpix

This Week’s Extras

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On Wednesday, Princess Akiko wore an oatmeal cloche at celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the emperor’s reign in Fukuoka Prefecture
Queen Elizabeth in a smart black straw hat with pleated straw hatbands and white brim binding and bow on Thursday at the funeral of her longtime friend, Jean (Jeanie) Margaret Wallop Herbert, Countess of Carnarvon.


Today, Princess Tsuguko attended an archery competition and officially opened Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in Koto, Tokyo. She wore a mint green silk covered pillbox with charming three-dimensional vine trim trailing over the design.
Easter greetings last weekend from Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar (in a great photo taken by their um) and Prince Carl Phillip and Princess Sofia, all in cosy knit winter hats


The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Grey picture hat with exquisite hatband of flowers made from paillettes & crystals by British milliner Dillon Wallwork
Dutch milliner Wies Mauduit in a wonderful pink and purple ombre straw percher of her own design
White straw pillbox with the most exquisite gold floral trim from British milliner Sarah Cant
Silver velvet bandeau with delicate lace applique trim from Irish milliner Teresa Nugent
Pistachio green straw boater hat with layered silk hatbands from Dutch milliner Myra van de Korput
Cream straw high sidesweep with amazing gold curling quill from British milliner Rachel Black

And from Australian milliner Helen Strong, this black teardrop veiled percher with vibrant floral trim.

Lovely to see Atsuko Ikeda ( Emperor Akihito’s elder sister, the former Princess Yori) undertake an engagement at the Ikeda Zoo last Sunday.
Interesting article on Crown Prince Naruhito– who he is and how that will shape the kind of emperor he will be (Mainichi)

Photos from social media as indicated

Koningsdag 2019

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The extended Dutch royal family celebrated Koningsdag today in Amersfoort where, it appeared, a great time was enjoyed by all:

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For today’s outdoor celebrations, Queen Máxima topped oatmeal linen culottes and tunic with orange applique detail with a new hat. A slanted saucer shape, it is described by the milliner as “made of banana fibers and silk in the same colour as Her Majesty’s outfit”.

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Let’s start with the positive- the shape and scale are good and the use of an anchor piece under the brim allows the hat to be worn at a lovely angle, slightly tipped back off the face. The hat is well connected to Máxima’s outfit and pairs well with the relative informality of the culottes. I appreciate how the swath of silk abacca gives some textural dimension and smooth shine that contrasts with the other natural fibres in the ensemble and while the colour palate is rather quiet, it allows the touches of orange to shine through brilliantly.

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But…. I have questions about the level of finishing on the hat. The brim edging is noticeably uneven and unless there’s something uniquely difficult about this material (I’ll trust our experienced milliners to advise on this), this simply doesn’t appear to be the standard one would expect of a piece of couture millinery. I have great respect for the fine work that couture milliners do but I find the finish on this hat unacceptably disappointing.
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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. It is the “Mystery” design from the Couture Collection 2019
Previously Worn: This hat is new

What do you think of Queen Máxima’s new hat?

Photos from Getty as indicated