Last week we looked at largest flowers, this week, it’s largest feathers. So rack your memories and search your archives, dearest readers: Which one of Queen Elizabeth’s hats hosts the largest feather?
To clarify, we’re not looking for the hat with the most feathers (stay tuned in a few weeks for that search) but instead, that hat with the largest feather. This feather might appear on a hat by itself or may be part of other trimmings. To keep things interesting, I’m going to discount ceremonial hats like those at the Order of the Thistle and Order of the Garter, below.
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Royal Hats 
The feathers won’t win a prize for size but the use of sequins (snowflakes?) makes it interesting, to me anyway. Hat worn in Slovakia on October 24, 2008. And that’s me signing off my search. Been fun!
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Guildford Cathedral Maundy Service, April 13, 2006
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At Newbury Racecourse, April 21, 2017
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United States, May 3, 2007. Also nice feathers on some of the people she’s meeting!
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I think this Rachel Trevor Morgan hat, in its original form, deserves inclusion here. Sadly, it seems the trimmed feathers didn’t wear well and have subsequently been removed. They were beautiful while they lasted.
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This feather looks rather lonely – the big, single ones at least have some elan. The Derby, about 1980. With her is Lady Kathryn Dugdale, a lady-in-waiting.
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July 28, 1976 in Canada – she’s being given a run for her money in the feathers department!
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An ostrich feather tam for Scotland, from her Silver Jubilee tour of the UK in May 1977:
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agree with Shannon Conley, that is the first feather and best feather and tallest feather that came to my mind when thinking of regal ladies in feathered hats. Max can pull off just about anything and look magnificent while doing so:)
Considering that many of these contenders that wonderful commentators have unearthed are hats I’ve never seen before, and mostly date from the last twenty years, what strikes me more than anything is how vast the hat vaults at Buckingham Palace must be!! It really does boggle the mind. I suppose, thinking about it, exactly the same applies to the matching outfits, since most often a hat will go with a specific outfit. That’s even more mind-boggling.
Sandra, you may have been fashionably late, but you are the life of the party! I especially like the photo of the two queens. Clearly, neither was going to be outdone on feathers, furs, or jewels! And that black hat with one full feather and one trimmed is so unusual!
Does anyone else find ostrich feathers on a funeral hat a little incongruous? They seem so frivolous to me — better matched to cheerful occasions like Ascot and weddings.
Ascot, June 15, 2004, the wind and the photographer combine for a great feather shot:
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Same hat as the one below (that I also posted, sorry!). I suspect I’m having waaaaay too much fun!!
This one was worn in Canberra, March 12, 2006:
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Commonwealth Day Tea Party in Sydney, Australia, March 13, 2006:
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The Windsor women have got some form when it comes to feathers! Does Princess Margaret outdo her sister? Trooping The Colour, June 12, 1982.
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Either of these Queens might actually win! I couldn’t resist this incredible photo … King George VI, Queen Juliana, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Bernhard at Buckingham Palace, on November 22, 1950.
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At the Melbourne Cup in Australia, Nov 3, 1981:
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Two feathers, but what feathers they are. The hat was worn in Malta on Nov 24, 2005.
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The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, May 19,2018:
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March 13, 2000:
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Apologies for being late to the fun … what great suggestions have been made so far.
This is from the Queen Mother’s funeral on April 5, 2002. Hard to tell if it’s just one feather though.
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We can’t talk about the Queen’s biggest feathers without this one!!
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Surely the most expensive! Wouldn’t it be a memorable hat trimming?
Well played Joanne!!
Now THAT would make a memorable hat trim!
And here’s a great image of HM wearing both this outstanding brooch and a hat with feather trim! April 20, 2006 in London.
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MrFitzroy has no recollection of this one, which appears was worn several times around 2010…..it’s one of those “once seen can’t be unseen” hats, and seems like it would stick in one’s memory!
Not doubt it will be a prime candidate for the future Millinery Retrospective “Angela Kelly: The Early Years….”
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Here’s my contender fir this one: Embed from Getty Images. A beret with a matching black plume last worn for Remembrance Sunday in 2002.
Can’t forget the peacock feathers!
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In the highly obscure category of “Best wings worn while Princess”……this would be a the grand slam winner!
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These may not be the largest feathers (MrFitzroy bets there is a giant ostrich plume somewhere that will win.) but certainly not insignificant. ….And such a charming and wonderful photo. It’s also amazing how put together she looked while wrangling a toddler and infant….even if there may have been help out of camera range! 1950.
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This one may win the Largest Pair of Feathers award.
This is a fairly large feather, and a hat that I’ve never seen before! It was worn for the Queen’s 2003 CHOGM visit to Nigeria.
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I don’t remember seeing that hat, either. Fascinating find.
The colour is not very flattering on HM. Perhaps she hasn’t worn it again.
Interesting feather. Any ideas about what kind it is? Come to think of it, what are the other feathers (aside from ostrich, pheasant, and peacock)? Any experts out there?
I believe that they’re egret feathers!
A very nice summery outfit. Unless this photo is distorting things, it looks like one the the asymmetric crowns, which I thought were a rather later introduction to her millinery repertoire than 2003 – very interesting.
What about her Christmas hat last year?
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Ooh… ostrich feathers. I think this one from Ascot this year might be even bigger
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Good ones! I knew there must be some enormous ostrich feathers out there, but I couldn’t find them. The grey looks bigger to me, but it’s hard to tell with the stitched-down pink.
Ascot, June 23, 2018:
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The scale of the hat really changes the perspective, doesn’t it? I assume both feathers are the same size, but this one looks smaller to me, but I think it’s the hat shape throwing me off.
Regardless, that’s one big bird that molted that feather!
Sorry, this reply was meant for the purple hat HQ posted at the bottom of the comments.
The first hat that came to mind for me is this one!
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I think this one gets an honorable mention too!
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I love this outfit! The hat looks like a Scottish/Irish military beret and I like the shawl collar with it.
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Maybe? It looks like one feather, wrapped around, but it could be several pieced together.
Good one- it’s a single feather that wraps around the hat. Here it is from a few angles
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Good one MittenMary! That is one huge feather!!
Mittenmary, you are a genius! That is one HUGE feather!
BTW, I never cared for most of those tear drop hats, but the royal blue color is 👍!
This is a Very Good Entry!
Hard to compete with the Braemer 1962 hat but I’m going to toss the headpiece from Edward and Sophie’s wedding into the ring anyway. Close-ups reveal some impressively large plumage.
https://royalhats.net/2014/07/19/wessexes-celebrate-15th-anniversary/
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I’m a lot less smart than Jimbo OR his phone so don’t know how to locate the picture, but what about the hat she wore when she opened the new Scottish Parliament building….
Are you thinking of this one, Ruth? https://royalhats.net/2016/08/12/closer-look-somerville-scottish-hat/ One of my favorites, but it doesn’t look as though the feathers are that large.
yes, thanks – on seeing the pictures, the feathers look more thick than long
1962 Braemer Games
I am unable to locate on Getty Images, but here’s the link to it on Shuttershock and copyright information:
https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/image-editorial/princess-anne-1218757al
And if you scroll down past a number of very lovely hats to picture 19, you can see the feather in the dusty rose beret at this link:
http://worldroyalfamily.blogspot.com/2016/04/as-queen-elizabeth-ii-celebrates-her.html
Shanon, the 1962 Braemar hat immediately came to my mind also! Unfortunately, I can’t play with all of you until next week- I only have access to my cellphone and I’m not as “smart” as it!
Immediately Jimbo? Your recollection is amazing! Can’t wait to read your insights next week. Enjoy your break!
That one is going to be hard to beat!
Perhaps there’ll be two prizes – one for length and one for volume! 🙂
Thanks for these links (and for helping me respect copyrights)! Somehow, I thought this blue tam was the “tam with the biggest feather” but the 1962 hat has it beat
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How does this one compare with the 1962 whopper?!
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The Braemar Games hat is a beauty, isn’t it?
I know this is about HMQEII, but I cannot help but think of what must be the biggest feather at least in recent hat memory on one of my favorite Max looks ever– the pheasant feathers at the Luxembourg wedding.