It’s not often that a monarch marries so it was no surprise that the religious ceremony of Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock on July 2, 2011 included lots of royal guests.
We start our tour of royal hats worn to this wedding with the last bride to marry a reigning monarch- Queen Silvia, who wore a wide brimmed parasisal straw picture hat in lilac pink. The design featured a crossover shape on the front of the crown, a gently sideswept brim and was simply trimmed with a double looped straw bow on the side. With her silk jacquard cloqué dress in the same colour, the hat topped a very coordinated look.
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Designer: unknown
Crown Princess Victoria’s aqua calot hat was clearly designed to match her silk chiffon embellished dress with the same curved iridescent paillettes on the dress’ sleeves completely covering the hat. It’s a very textural look in a colour that’s great for Victoria but that was let down by her limply styled hair. Victoria was in her first trimester of pregnancy with Princess Estelle at the time of this wedding, making me wonder if she was feeling her best or if the heat of the day simply got the best of her. It’s a fussier look than we usually see on Victoria, which makes me like it for her, and I wish we could see it worn again with a more successful hairstyle.
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Designer: unknown. Dress by Escada.
Princess Madeleine paired her almond silk dress with a large silk rose headpiece in a similar hue, with tall curving pheasant feather. As far as fascinators go, this one makes a statement… although the curve and height of that feather always felt a bit random to me.
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Designer: unknown. Dress by Dolce & Gabbana
Princess Mette-Marit also chose a monochrome look in a pale, neutral pink with a crescent headpiece of layered hand cut lace that circled around the back of her head. The multiple layers of lace created a wonderfully dimensional piece that contrasted against the smooth lines and asymmetrical neckline of her dress and beautifully framed her face. I usually am a stickler for impeccable finishes on royal millinery but the the slightly raw lace on this design gave it an edgy, rough beauty.
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Designer: unknown. Dress by Valentino.
Princess Mary wore one of my favourite looks at this wedding with a finely woven, wheat-hued straw saucer hat studded with tiny diamanté, trimmed with large ecru silk roses and flying coque feathers. While a neutral colour, the hat was anything but boring thanks to its dramatic shape and bold trim, elements that enabled it to stand up as the perfect counterpoint for Mary’s Mediterranean blue silk dress. With neutral shoes and a fun, patterned turquoise purse, this ensemble was perfectly styled and firmly got my vote for best dressed guest at this wedding. Nine years on, it’s still one of my favourites.
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Designer: Jane Taylor. Dress by Prada.
Princess Marie went with a more monochrome approach, topping her pale peach silk wrap dress with a brimmed hat in the same shade. The hat’s brim was gently turned up around the front the hat was completed a spray of straw leaves in darker and lighter shades sweeping over the side.
Designer: unknown. Dress by Rikke Gudnitz.
There’s no shortage of interesting milliner here- we’ve got colour, sparkle and drama! I’ve already tipped my hand as to my favourite, dearest readers but I’m curious- which looks here stand out most to you?
Jump to this post for an index of other royal hats that appeared at this wedding.
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
I remember loving Silvia’s ensemble back in 2011, although time has softened my love a bit. This is mainly because I find certain angles of the hat a bit harsh, and while photography and material differences could be to blame, I’ve just never been convinced the hat and dress colors match perfectly.
I like Victoria’s outfit and shoes and think paler aqua is a good color for her, but I’m not a fan of this hat. To me, it looks like a snood, and I’m not certain a different hairstyle would help improve things. I agree the feather on Madeleine’s fascinator feels rather random or an afterthought unfortunately.
I’ve always loved how whimsical this headpiece was on Mette-Marit, and it was way better than her dress. I was also glad to see Haakon and Guillaume not in the awful all-white dress military uniforms.
This has been a great hat for Mary that we’ve luckily seen multiple times since its premiere here, but this is not my favorite outing of it unfortunately. The headband part could’ve been hidden better and I find the dress too shiny. And although the rest of his morning suit feels oversized, I’ve long loved Frederik’s crimson & gold waistcoat! Finally, I feel like Marie stepped right out of Felipe & Letizia’s wedding 7 years earlier (seriously, Marie looks like a missing Ortiz y Rocasolano sister from that wedding); while it’s a good choice of hat and a nice color for her, I find the hat’s shape to be slightly dated.
There are SO many great looks here!
Silvia: I love pink on her. The hat is good (it could use some feathers to spice it up) but her dress reminds me of a quilt!
Victoria: Her dress looks uncomfortable, like it was poking her! The hat is OK and I feel for her- I stayed horizontal during the first trimesters of each of my pregnancies. I don’t know how she made it through a long, hot outdoor wedding.
Madeleine: I’m surprised how much I like the feather! The big rose is beautiful (I love her lighter hair!) and her dress is amazing.
Mary: This hat is so beautiful and it’s great with her blue dress, even with the weird seam
Marie: I don’t think peach looks good on very many people. It’s OK on her but I think her dress would be better with a lighter hat with flowers.
I love Queen Silvia’s look. That color is so gorgeous and the hat is wonderful. I have a little issue with the dress as it doesn’t look fitted properly. The waist looks really fitted, almost like a belt, and then a big baggy on the top. Sorry, but I can’t not see it now.
I agree HQ about CP Victoria’s hair, but the calot is quite lovely. The color is great on her, and I think that design suits her.
Princess Madeleine looks lovely, and I like the floral past of the fascinator, but the feather looks out of place to me.
I love CP Mette-Marit’s entire look. The fascinator is very light and airy and perfect for a summer wedding.
I agree with you HQ about CP Mary. She was one of two of my favorite guest looks. The other I’m sure you’ll cover tomorrow. The color of her dress is so perfect for a Mediterranean wedding, and that hat has been a bit of a workhorse for her. She’s matched it with different colors and styles over the years, and it works every time. It’s really one of the best Royal hats ever, in my opinion.
Trickymum, I agree with you 100% for 2 days in a row. Queen Silvia’s beautiful hat compliments her dress and dark hair so well.
Goodness, the Royal siblings are attractive! Madeleine’s eyes are stunning in the 1st photo in the 2nd set. And as for Carl Philip, my mother would have called it a crime to be so handsome! (She never said that of me, but I’m not bitter.)
I also like Mary’s hat very much – it seems to have been a forerunner in a style that has rightly become very popular since, but I’m voting with a monochrome look here and giving my vote to Queen Silvia – a lovely brimmed hat that compliments her pretty dress beautifully. And Carl Gustav gives Albert a lesson in how to do a white uniform!
Not exactly a forerunner- Philip Treacy had similar upright saucers a few years before this
So did Rachel Trevor Morgan and Vivien Sheriff… and I’m sure, a few others!