With many of us facing Christmases separated from family and friends, we need all the cheer we can get. So this week’s question, dearest readers, is a light hearted one- which royal hats can you recall with the largest twist(s)?
I’ve kicked things off above with Princess Marie Chantal of Greece in a Philip Treacy design. Now it’s your turn!
Photo from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
Oh, I have been enjoying all these and wishing I could join in! Alas, am laid up for a little bit (nothing serious). xx
Get well, Sandra! There is a very fun, interactive post coming up soon that you won’t want to miss!
Wishing you a speedy recovery, Sandra!
I so appreciate the enormous amount of time and effort you put into this wonderful blog day after week after month after year. THANK YOU!
You’re welcome!
Not the largest, but some more feather and feather spine twists, these 3 again all by Philip Treacy:
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(this last one is presumably the same design as the hot pink one worn by Queen Silvia posted by HatQueen)
I love this one! It was her Mother of the Bride hat when Laura got married in 2006.
This has been another very interesting post. The size of the twists and where they are put on a hat makes such a big difference. If the hat has a brim, I think the twists look better tucked on top of the brim instead of on the outside of it.
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa has some beautiful outfits and hats with twists.
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These are great ones Anne! The green one is very striking.
Another one for Princess Haya. I love how sleek this hat is.
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Great one! This shade of blue is spectacular on her.
This hat has several other close iterations, all also by Philip Treacy, that have appeared on royal heads:
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Black Philip Treacy percher on Princess Haya rimmed in twists
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This post has been the perfect pick-me-up! Thank you!
This is not the hat with biggest twist but I think it’s the hat with the prettiest ones! I love everything about this whole outfit.
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SO FUN thank you everyone!!
Princess Diana, New Zealand 1983
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Sarah, Duchess of York, Ascot 2018 and rewear
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Both great additions. Diana’s hat was by John Boyd and Sarah’s – no surprise- is another Philip Treacy.
Diana was a fan of these rouleau bands. Here’s another two examples.
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I also love this hat on Amelia Windsor
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This reminded me a a hat worn by Amelia’s cousin, Lady Helen Taylor. I’m not sure it counts as a twist…. but maybe?
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One of my favorite hats in gorgeous blue
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Her sister wore a near twin of this hat, in deep blue, to the Japanese Enthronement in 2019, also with twists of the same scale
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Such great hats and twists on Maddie and Victoria! This is one of my all time favorite headpieces. Gorgeous.
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Queen Silvia also has blue headpiece with twists. I always thought this was so pretty.
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When I think of Queen Silvia and twists, this bright pink headpiece comes to mind!
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WOW!!! I don’t remember this one. It’s amazing!
Lady Gabriella and Lady Frederick both in hats with twists
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Ooh! What a fun post this is! Thank you all for digging up all those wonderfully entertaining, frivolous hats.
It seems Philip Treacy really is the Master of the Twist: he does it better and more often than any other milliner and with his sharp, crisp buntal straw twists, he set a whole new standard!
Twists you say?!
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I really need to stop and get some work done!!
Most definitely not the largest, but some appropriately understated, and very elegant twisting here from Kate.
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a couple of turquoise twists from hm, 2007 &
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2nd is 2010
most subtle twists??
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Another view of HM hat JamesB had identified earlier, this time worn without the jacket on a Kenyan tour.
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I know we are all having tons of fun looking at these hats with twists, but remove parts of the hatband that match the outfit, and I think this a hat that could be worn again.
Much better than AK hat blocks.
Yes! It’s a great shape and color.
Good find! It’s a nice one this, this was about the time when her hat game got stepped up with broader shapes and embellishments.
The ‘other’ Camilla adding a subtle twist to things……and she is not known for subtle!
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🙂
Silvia seems a bit perplexed about this one, and that makes two of us…..
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I think these are Princess Anne’s biggest twists
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This one from Serena Linley has rather eaten her hat! Embed from Getty Images
Another Treacy twist on one of my favorite looks for Queen Silvia:
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Didn’t photograph well, but some large twists for Zara at Ascot (couldn’t resist another photo of my favorite twists on Camilla haha):
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Another twist that defies description, this time on Zara:
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More Treacy for Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, and bizarre twists and turns on Tessy de Nassau: https://royalhats.net/2016/06/21/belgian-noble-wedding-grand-ducal-guests/
Tessy’s takes it a few twists too far. That is indeed an excellent look for Silvia.
I forgot about Zara’s big white hat with the long twists! And here I was thinking this one was one of her biggest.
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Queen Margrethe at Princess Alexia of Greece’s wedding 1999:
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Not sure if this counts. Is this a “plop,” or a “twist from the back?”
Princess Tessy of Luxembourg at the wedding of the HGD Guillaume and Stephanie
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Aptly named!
Alexandra as ever takes this trend and does it with understated elegance! Embed from Getty Images
Wow. I really like this JamesB!
Princess Alexandra always gets it right!
Because Alexandra went to Graham Smith, the last great modiste.
Princess Haya at Royal Ascot
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Great inclusion! Haya has several hats with twists (no surprise, all from Philip Treacy)
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This one of Máx’s defies description, but looks a bit twisty to me!
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JamesB
This hat does indeed defy description. One wonders! But fits the bill for twists!
I found a fun surprise looking back through Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s hats. Together, they have 3 versions of the same hat with feather twists!
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I think this was Meghan’s only hat with twists.
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Actually Meghan’s first ever royal hat had a large velour felt twist!
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Of course!
Sophie wears many hats with twists. But she is mostly forgotten.
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Wonderful collection of images Anna, Thank you!
Wow, that 2010 Ascot percher is in a category of its own — feather twists!
Not the biggest but a twist nonetheless
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I think this counts?
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Absolutely! Great inclusion.
How did I forget about this one?? It needs to make another appearance ASAP!
Queen Mathilde
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Duchess of Kent gets in on the act too. A whole lot of Treacy twists here. Embed from Getty Images
Great one!
3 from lady gabriella
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and one of my favourite royal hats ever…
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Queen Sonja at St Paul’s for the Queen Mother’s 100th in 2000.
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The Queen can rarely be seen doing the twist……but forgoing the shout.
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I think Marie-Chantal will take some beating, but I’ll have a think. In the meantime this was the first one of HM’s that came to mind.
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I can’t find a closer photo but it has a pink cousin from the same tour. Embed from Getty Images
Great catch JamesB!!
The Princess Royal in a hat trimmed with what really can’t be called a bow or a flower….so perhaps it is a gathered twist?
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Camilla will be a frontrunner for this category for sure! In addition to the mint green Ascot hat posted by sirlancelot, here are two more, including my all-time favorite Camilla hat in ice blue:
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And two from Queen Margrethe:
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Looking forward to what others find!
i think they are all gorgeous! thanks jake
Sorry Jake, I missed this and copied you on Queen Margrethe. Great choices!
Camilla has a lot of hats with twists. It seems Philip Treacy uses twists more than any of the other royal milliners.
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Even though it seems like Camilla will likely walk away with this, MrFitzroy’s first thought was Princess Micheal of Kent, and she did not disappoint!
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Yes, my first thought was of Princess Michael too 🙂
Great catch! And a great reminder that twists are not always straw!
probably not the largest, but still v twisty – camilla at ascot 2015;
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