On Friday, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde attended a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier monument in Brussels to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
For this ceremony, Queen Mathilde repeated a beige velvet felt fedora trimmed with a hatband of the same material folded into a multi-looped bow.
It’s a fairly sedate hat, elevated here with its pairing with Mathilde’s navy dress with ecru Battenberg lace print. The dress lifts the overall look, which remains quietly dignified enough to fit for a memorial event while still feeling light for spring. Beige accessories may not be exciting on their own but pair here to support an elegant ensemble.
Designer: Fabrienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: Oct 14, 2016; October 11, 2013
It’s so exciting to see a hats starting to be worn at public royal events, even if these events are extremely pared down. What do you think of Queen Mathilde’s look on Friday
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
I love the colour scheme of this outfit (beige is such an under-rated team player!) which I agree was very appropriate, and I love fedoras. That said, this beautiful summer dress, gloves and handbag, so similar to the styles worn by Queen Elizabeth in the 1950’s, seems to me to also need the 1950’s millinery solution of a small close-fitting summer hat. Mathilde has a few such hats already in beige, so I’m not sure what would have prompted the felt fedora — which to me is calling out for a wool coat, and a pair of beige boots. So for me the 2013 outing of this fedora (with the wool dress and mohair coat), was the more compatible ensemble, due to the similarity of weight and texture throughout the ensemble.
While I like the print, that’s a lot of fabric at the skirt for this print. The color combination is flattering to her; however, the style unfortunately emphasizes narrow shoulders.
This is certainly the best outfit she’s paired with this hat so far, and I’m glad everything wasn’t monochrome beige, although I would’ve added in more navy blue to the other accessories.
I find it interesting how the Danish and Belgian royals wore hats/outfits that could be worn for any working occasion, while the British kept it subdued, albeit still appropriate for other events, and the Dutch went with very funereal clothing. Do we think this is a matter of personal preference in observing this anniversary, or are there other factors I’m not aware of? I can see how this could be a celebratory event for the end of warfare, but they are still solemn in remembering all those who died. I’ve been confused for many years, especially since all the bright colors at the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings (https://royalhats.net/2014/06/06/european-monarchs-commemorate-d-day-landings-at-normandy/). Sorry if my thinking aloud deviates from the true focus of this post.
I agree that this is the best pairing for this hat, Jake.
Interesting observation about difference in dress. I was going to go with the wreath laying determining the solemnity, but I see that HM laid a wreath at the 70th, so that doesn’t work. Was it something about the gathering of leaders that made it more of a celebration of the triumph rather than a memorial to the loss?
Queen Maxima always wears all black on May 4 for Remembrance Day, just as the British royals do in November for Remembrance Sunday.
Very nice. I like to think the looped bows on her hat mimic the pattern in the dress just a little.
My only quibble with the dress is that the sleeves should be longer. The shorter sleeves seem to make the dress casual.
Q. Mathilde looks amazing! What an interesting patterned fabric and I appreciate this quiet colour combination. She has the height to make this dress work beautifully and the accessories just add to the elegance. Love it.