Queen Elizabeth wore this distinctive bumper hat with rounded black felt crown and reverse stack red fabric-covered upturned brim to St. Petersburg in 1994, Northern Ireland in March 1995, Poland in 1996, the de-commissioning ceremony for royal yacht Britannia and visit to Swindon in 1997, and a visit to London’s financial district in 1998.
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Royal Hats 
I still prefer brimmed hats on HM, but this one is so fun. Great color and shape, and it gives her a little extra height without overwhelming her.
Recently, a discussion arose about the placement of the bow (whether front or rear) when trimming a hat. Here’s an example of the same hat being worn both ways.
July 4, 1999: bow in the front
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November 1, 1999: bow in the back
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Same hat on display:
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-two-visitors-look-at-an-original-hat-of-british-queenelizabeth-ii-55441101.html
I find myself liking this hat. It has the jaunty angle across the forehead, which helped decide me, not just the straight line. The colour is vibrant and I really like the stacking effect.
Part of me would love to see this hat worn to the Guggenheim Museum in New York!
One thing that really stands out in all these wonderful pictures, HQ, is the wonderful smiles and laughter on HM’s face in so many of them. She truly has a gift for finding a magic in a moment.
What a fun hat, I really like it from all angles, and it sits on HM’s hairstyle perfectly.
I enjoy this hat. I think “jaunty” is the word for it!
Most of the photos are from queen’s state visit in Poland in 1996
Oooh, I like this hat. That witty little tilt is everything!
Because of its size and dimension, I prefer it with the heavy coat, rather than the suit. It is nice to see the hat with the dress, though. HM really got her money’s worth with the hat/coat, as she wore it again, as recently as 2001.
January 20, 2001: Wolferton Church, Sandringham (BRIMLESS)
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Let’s muddy the waters a bit, now. The queen wore the same red suit a lot, combined with two other straw hats.
November 19, 1997 (SINGLE BRIM)
October 21, 1999 (DOUBLE BRIM)
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PS: Hat Queen, recently there was a discussion about the placement of a bow as trim on a particular hat. With your permission, I’d love to share a very interesting discovery, while I was researching the hats above.
Of course, do share!
JImbo, Im sorry but from the 2pics I dont see x2 different hats – for me its the same double-brimmed hat, maybe with a trick of the eye?? Love the pics of the yellow hat worn different ways (thats a great spot btw, and a great outfit!) – really cant decide which way around I prefer.
Sirlancelot, you are correct, but it’s hard to tell. Are you like me, and hate being wrong? Here’s another photo from the same outing. Definitely, though, the bow trim was added at some later date.
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Not one of my favourite hats for Queen Elizabeth because of the sad association with Britannia’s de-commissioning. But it is a cosy winter look especially with the lovely red coat.
And this is why her brimmed hats are so much more flattering…
Oh I really love this! I don’t care for the black crown (I wish it matched the rest of the hat), but this is an interesting shape but not too crazy. What a great hat! It kind of reminds me of some of Princess Beatrix’s hats in the way the brim sort of nestles, but almost backwards to the way hers sometimes do. So cool!