sixty years ago yesterday to a visit made by Princess Alexandra to the London Association for the Blind in Peckham. Her voluminous butter yellow velvet braided pillbox (with nearly the proportions of a turban!) is a fantastic style statement very much of the time, even though it seems a bit mumsy to current eyes for the young, single, stylish princess that she was. How fashion has changed!
Please share any Royal Hat related updates and conversation in the comments below.
Photo from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
HAT RELATED:
Queen Elizabeth went to church today, wearing a beautiful lilac straw hat with a tweedy coat.
As seen from its last outings: October 19, 2019, and its rear view from April 11, 2017.
Embed from Getty Images
NON-HAT RELATED:
1. Yesterday, HM was “locked out” of Windsor Castle! The entry gate was stuck for a while, but after “Open Sesame” was said, she gained entry!
2. At church this morning, we shook/held no hands, and the greeters met us at the door with fist bumps! No communion from the cups, either. I wonder if HM fist bumped the vicar today.
3. I can hardly wait for the Commonwealth Day Festivities tomorrow!
How embarrassing for the Royal Gatekeeper!
Same protocol at my church, Jimbo. Best to be safe, right?
Is anyone else twitching for a new royal hat sighting? Commonwealth Day is coming up, so maybe HM will come through. This pretty number is less familiar to me, although it was also worn for Maundy Thursday 2007. (Jimbo will no doubt find more.)
Embed from Getty Images
Yes mittenmary, I can’t wait for the next appearance of a new royal hat, right now they seem to be scarcer than toilet paper.
I love that jaunty blushpink hat. And for me, soft pastel colours always emphasize the gentle and maternal side of HM’s personality.
Princess Anne earlier today at London Paddington station in a (new-to-me) military cap in olive green (hoping the embed code works this time for me, otherwise many apologies for the mess of my comment):
//www.instagram.com/embed.js
Very interesting hat and uniform indeed Jake, with a fascinating vintage WWII feel about it. In this video, HRH says that it is the uniform of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, as worn by Odette Hallowes, celebrated special agent for the British operating in France during the German occupation.
My mother served in the women’s army during those years, and seeing this uniform on the Princess in such detail, brings all those black-and- white photos of my mother and her comrades in uniform vividly to life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAm3qN30sNU
What an interesting cap. I wonder whether the strap over the top has a function? Princess Anne wears the uniform very well. On a side note, I recently read Code Name: Lisette, about Odette Hallowes. What a harrowing story about this brave woman! Good to see her getting this recognition.
You must be so proud of your mom, mcncln.
Thanks, Jake, for posting!
Correction: the book is Code Name: Lise.
You don’t need an embed code for Instagram, just copy-paste the link to the post you want to share.
A royal man’s hat has been sighted! Granted, it’s only a ballcap (and a nice one at that) presumably for the practical purpose of keep Harald’s head from burning, but it’s not often we see such hats on royals outside of sporting events (Harald & Sonja are on a state visit to Jordan).
Embed from Getty Images
And Sonja pulled out a practical and packable paper straw wide brimmed hat on March 4 during their visit to Jordan (Harald repeated his navy blue ballcap):
Embed from Getty Images
Get excited, Hat Christmas (a.k.a. Royal Ascot) is a little more than 3 months away! And the official 2020 style guide is now out:
Fantastic video Jake! Thanks for sharing! I cannot wait for Royal Ascot!
The Duchess of Cambridge wore her black bandeau on her and the Duke’s visit to Ireland. It pairs nicely with her beautiful green patterned dress and coat.
Embed from Getty Images
A very polished look for sure! Perfect for an official visit to Ireland.
I would love for the Gina Foster emerald beret (https://royalhats.net/2016/03/18/inventory-duchess-of-cambridges-green-hats/) to make a comeback on this visit, but I doubt it will unfortunately.
I agree Jake. That beret is lovely.
Oh, that beret is great! Fingers crossed that it comes out for the annual visit to the 1st Battalion Irish Guard in two weeks.
Great suggestion Jake; the black bandeau with this strong outfit is a bit timid.
She could have managed more of a hat with the coat, but the simple bandeau is just right with the lively pattern of the dress.
1. A Beautiful, colorful array of Swedish skiing apparel! Wonderful.
2. Queen Elizabeth wearing an (at least) 11 year old hat – I love it! Below is a better vantage point of this button-ish chapeau.
Embed from Getty Images
Nice pics Jimbo. I feel as if I oughtn’t to like this hat, (silky fondant swirls AND an arty-crafty arrangement of self-covered buttons)…but I can’t help it, this hat is rather fun. Here’s the outfit with its original, different trim in April 2009:
Embed from Getty Images
Mcncln, wouldn’t it have been a riot if the buttons were rearranged again for yesterday’s outing? How funny that would be!
I noticed three big alterations to the refurbished ensemble:
1. The hat brim looks smaller.
2. The dress was replaced with a button-down version. Notice how the dress buttons line up with the coat? My photo from yesterday doesn’t show this detail as well as others that I’ve seen.
3. The obvious removal of the coat’s blue ruffly trim.
Since things are bit quiet here, I thought I’d share a discovery of a new hat (to me), also from 2009. The hat below was not found in any of HM’s blue hat inventories, or the teardrop Hat Design Feature section. I love millinery surprises like this one, and such a beautiful color, too.
July 17, 2009
Embed from Getty Images
I’m glad the ruffly trim was removed from the coat — I thought it looked rather silly. And thanks, Jimbo, for this great 2009 discovery. I also have never seen this hat before, to my recollection, but it certainly is interesting!
Great find, Jimbo. I’m not sold on that crown, but the color and quill are fantastic.
That quill is quite a flight of fancy – not a trim I readily associate with HM. Interesting find, Jimbo. I’m always thrilled to see an Elizabeth hat which is new to me. Luckily, for now there seems to be no end to the supply!
The Swedish royals in cute winter hats
And Charlotte Casiraghi looked fab at the Saint Laurent show Feb 25 at Paris Fashion Week
Do you think they covered the full color wheel intentionally?
The Queen attended a church service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park on 1st March
Princess Anne as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Corps of Signals attended the Centenary Service at Salisbury Cathedral on February 29:
I love this on Anne! A great matchy hat!
One of her best!
So very good!
This is one of my favorite hat styles on Anne — she carries it so well, and this is also a great color for her!
More
The supersized braiding reminds me a little of the Duchess of Gloucester’s 1984 -> 2019 blue headband: https://royalhats.net/2019/05/20/kent-wedding-at-windsor-british-royal-cousins/ But I agree with mcncln: the butter yellow is gorgeous and the velvet is so luxurious. As Shanon has said, it does look like something Max could carry off.
Thanks for continuing to post these, HQ. Sending a virtual hug your way.
So true about that hat worn by the Duchess of Gloucester, mittenmary!
Princess Akiko of Mikasa attended the Japan Keirin Autorace Foundation 2019 Excellent Athlete award ceremony on February 13, 2020
This is a great hat and outfit on Princess Akiko. She looks fabulous in navy. Thanks for sharing Maja.
She looks superb, gorgeous colour, navy never fails.
On February 16th, Princess Akiko of Mikasa attended the award ceremony for the 43rd Miyasama International Ski Marathon
Thank you, mcncin, for the additional photos of Princess Alexandra’s hat and the rest of the ensemble.
I do think the hat is perfect, as it balances the proportions of the coat. The plaiting and color are such that I think this hat could easily be worn today with someone with the stature to carry it off. Perhaps Maxima, as Shanon suggests.
Princess Alexandra has long been the exemplar of elegance and it was so nice to read this post today!
Beautiful! Always!
I love this fabulous hat! The color is lovely, and the hat looks so soft. It’s hard to believe it’s a pillbox instead of a turban. It’s a great overall look, and I could see Queen Maxima wearing something like this today.
Lovely photo HQ!
What a fabulous colour, so under-used in general! I think it is definitely time for us to see more butter yellow in WINTER (hello, Princess Beatrice?)
Camille Gottlieb seems to think so too, coincidentally she was also resplendent in butter yellow, also oversized, 2 days ago.(no hat, unfortunately)
Plus ca change…..
I have strong memories of my fashion-conscious grandmother, already in retirement, dressed in this coat and hat style of Alexandra’s, so yes, the coat does make me think “mumsy”. Oversized anything is always risky. But the hat I love – in that luxurious velvet – the plaited folds, and the off-centre way Alexandra liked to wear this hat style, are just perfect. ( And of course the taupe bag and gloves are exquisite.)
A black-and-white close-up of the plaiting: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/princess-alexandra-of-kent-visits-the-london-association-news-photo/1124730023?adppopup=true
And a black-and-white full-length view including the shoes: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/princess-alexandra-of-kent-visits-the-london-association-news-photo/1124730051?adppopup=true