I suppose when one wears as many hats as Queen Elizabeth has worn over the course of her lifetime, ordering a preferred style in a few colours just makes sense. In the mid 1970s, she wore versions of the same hat with high, upfolded bumper brim trimmed with silk lily-of-the-valley flowers, in three distinct colours :
Look #2: Green worn during Silver Jubilee visits to Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, both in February 1977. This hat’s crown and brim are both made of fine straw and the hat is trimmed with a straw bow, low on the back of the hat.
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Look #3: Blue worn on Silver Jubilee visits to Australia in March 7, 1977 and Northern Ireland in August 11, 1977 and on a state visit to Qatar in February 22, 1979. This design seems to be a carbon copy of Look #2 in terms of material and trim but in this lovely shade of blue.
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Photo from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
How’s this for a quartet of similar hats? I know they’re a bit of a stretch, but it’s still fun to see some beauties from the past. What better way to celebrate your remarkable Queen’s birthday! Enjoy.
November 24, 1992: Annus Horribilis speech
March 6, 1997: Kingsbury High School, North London
September 5, 1997: Greeting Diana’s mourners
October 22, 2003: Hayward Gallery, London
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Thanks to HatQueen’s features on the RTM twins and Angela Kelly designs, it’s not so surprising to see similar hats, but they are not usually this close. Not my favorite era for HM’s hats, but these are among the better of the “helmet with some interest round the back.” (PERFECT description, JamesB!) I like the surprise of the white crown on the green, and the halo of lilies of the valley works better on this design.
The blue outfit was also worn during the Silver Jubilee Review of the British Army of the Rhine.
July 7, 1977: Sennelager, West Germany
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The three beauties featured today are definitely from the same gene pool as the following “black sheep” of the family. The crown appears to be the same material as the dress. HM wore it also on June 14, 1977 to the Royal Ascot Races. (Black to Ascot?!?)
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Now this one I LOVE. It’s quite chic isn’t it, and the variation of the pattern being used on the hat has a certain lightness of touch. And black for Ascot indeed! I’m gonna miss Ascot so much this year…
Speaking of missing Ascot, I’m sure that our HatQueen will arrange for a retrospective of some sort to keep us occupied, perhaps hats over the years worn by specific royals, or hats over the years designed by specific milliners, but another fun “exercise” might be hats over the years by color. (Hint hint..)
You’re going to miss Ascot?!?! So am I! We were slated to attend 3 days this year. I had all my attire tailored to my new, slim dimensions AND bought a new morning coat. I’m so disappointed to say the least.
I feel for you, in your disappointment! It must be such fun to see all the hats in person, not to mention the racing and the social event!
Oh, too bad indeed, Chicago Chuck! no wonder you are gutted. I hope I do see, in the blog, your new clothes, and your commentary, at Ascot 2021!
We are planning to attend in 2021. The good lord (and scientists and physicians!) willing.
I like the reversed-out pattern, too. But what a surprise to see her in black, which I thought she reserved for funerals or Remembrance Day.
JamesB, I found some better views of HM’s hat crown. Clearly, this hat was a big hit not only with us older lads, but with the young lads also – the boys at Eton and those in Canada.
PS We were just instructed today to stay home ’til at least the end of May! I’m taking a fonder interest in the old series “Murder, She Wrote.” I love Angela Lansbury.
June 21, 1978: Eton Boys’ Tea Party
July 27, 1978: St. John’s, New Foundland, Canada
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Jimbo, re the end of lockdown – in Australia, no “end of May” for us! Our pundits started saying “6-12 months of lockdown” about 4 weeks ago. Since recovering from the shock of that unwelcome prediction, most people here have stopped talking about an end date. Instead it’s all about “the long haul”. It would be lovely, though, if this would all be over sooner.
I absolutely adore this hat too!
This helmet with some interest round the back was a go to style for HMmin the 70s/early 80s (see the Jubilee and the Wales’ wedding). While it has a bit of fun and whimsy I’m not sure I think it’s terribly flattering on HM, these hats come across a bit matronly I think, as much of her wardrobe at the time did though. She clearly likes them though to have ordered three of the same!
“Helmet with interest ’round the back” was indeed, one of her signature millinery looks in the 70s. You’ve coined a term I’ll use again, JamesB!
I was looking for some photos of the Wales wedding hat from the back for comparison but couldn’t find any — has anyone come across any back views of that one?
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Thanks, HQ! That’s kind of the side — I’m hoping for some views of the actual back — just curious to what extent the flowers go all the way around or if they’re mainly side puffs. I have a few books of the royal wedding still on my shelves, I’ll look through them a bit later and see what’s there.
This is the best I could find, Matthew. Indeed, the flowers wrap all around the back.
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Good find, love the gloves so very 70s