King Philippe, Queen Mathilde were joined by cousin Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg this morning for a remembrance ceremony this morning in Bastogne, Belgium commemorating the 75th Battle of the Bulge (the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945).
Queen Mathilde chose this event to debut an new felt hat with high, angular crown and moderate length cartwheel brim, simply trimmed with a slim hatband knotted on the right side.
The colour variation of photos shows the hat in shades from a brick brown to vibrant cranberry- I think the shade depicted in the first photo of the first gallery above is most accurate, and makes for a lovely colour on Mathilde. I’m less enamored with shape of the hat’s crown, which feels a little clunky, or the puckers on the top of the brim around the front of the hat. Intentional or not, I think this type brim shape works much better when perfectly smooth and the resulting waves on let down the hat’s impact.
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Designer: entire ensemble by Dior
Previously Worn: this hat is new
What do you think of Queen Mathilde’s new hat?
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
The overall look is great, do I like the hat? When is a hat successful ? Does it need to complement the overall look, does it need to frame the face? this blog has shown me there are so many aspects about a hat. The hat looks like it doesn’t fit quite properly due to the somewhat tall crown and puckering always get unwanted attention. (once you see it you can’t unsee it). Almost like she didn’t have a proper fitting and the hat was just sent to her.
The hat is not a design by Fabienne Delvigne indeed, it was made by Dior, as was the rest of her outfit.
Thanks. Stephen Jones’ usually collaborates with Dior for hats in their collections but I really don’t think this one is from him.
This is an ideal hat for a winters day at a racecourse, for a memorial service it looks all wrong.
Despite having a great outfit in a wonderful color, this hat unfortunately does not flatter Mathilde. The brim size and simple cartwheel shape are good, but that crown is just awful (looks like a bucket or flowerpot), and the unevenness in the brim leaves something to be desired; it looks like the hat was too big and they tried to use a drawstring to tighten it, but it doing so it created waves/puckering in the felt. A domed crown and smooth brim would do wonders to improve this hat.
I agree Jake, the Puritan/pilgrim shape of the crown is uncommon and interesting, but somehow overly severe on Mathilde. The coat is not her best style either — the tight belting and the hip pocket flaps make the proportions look unbalanced and make the coat look too long. The colour, however, is lovely, and Mathilde has shown us numerous times that she can carry a red coat with matching red hat to stunning effect. Below is a gallery of Mathilde wearing red coat-and-hat ensembles which I feel are more flattering. The coats/capes have less constricted or zero waist detailing; and where matching widebrimmed hats are worn, the shapes suit her perfectly.
Embed from Getty Images
I always loved that last outfit. So elegant!
It is so sad to see that puckering. I don’t understand why someone advising the queen or helping with her wardrobe would not send the hat back to the maker of the hat if it arrived in that condition. It really is sad. I absolutely adore the queen in this color. It was a nice contrast to all the black coats, but not too vibrant to be inappropriate for this occasion.
Agreed that the overall shape looks a little clunky. Also, the crown looks too high for Mathilde. Too bad, since it is a great color. It’s striking to see Mathilde in the group photo since only one other person — a woman at the far right — is wearing a hat.
Good outfit in a wonderful color. I noticed the puckering as well. Otherwise I think it’s a nice hat.
I love the color of her ensemble. It’s festive, yet subdued at the same time. Very appropriate for this occasion. I do see the puckering on the brim and have to agree with your assessment HQ.