Princess Elisabeth of Belgium conducted her first solo engagement on Saturday, officially christening the oceanographic research vessel Belgica in Ghent.
For this occasion, she wore a new disc percher hat in pale pink . The hat follows a gentle curve and is trimmed with a draped bow on both sides of the raised edge.
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
The colour and scale are lovely on Elisabeth and the pairing of curvy hat with the sharp lines of her white tuxedo dress feels young and fresh. My issues are with the hat itself- the material appears to be a synthetic/polyester braid of some sort and I think something finer would help to elevate its impact, presence and polish and liven up the clunky bow.
Designer: “Pretty” design by Fabienne Delvigne. Dress by Reiss.
Previously Worn: This hat is new
I understand that Fabienne Delvigne Couture Millinery has an Appointment to The Court of Belgium (2001) but I really hope Princess Elisabeth is encouraged to engage the work of other Belgian milliners in her wardrobe.
Images from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
I agree that overall this was a nice balanced look for Elisabeth. I think the sewn braided straw (unclear whether it’s a toyo, hemp, synthetic, or something else) is fine for this hat, but instead it’s the details of the trim that bring it down unfortunately. I also agree with SoCal Gal that pale pink shoes would’ve unified the look better than the beige ones she did wear. While Elisabeth is still young and deserves more time to enjoy life as a young adult, it’s also nice to see her getting a solo engagement.
Members of royal families have tended to see ship-launching as a fairly formal engagement, one for which hats are worn, and I must say I’m really relieved that Princess Elisabeth is following that trend. It would be so easy for someone of that age not to wear a hat without much comment being made, and I think the fact that she wore one at all is a hopeful indication that she’ll be continuing the hat-wearing traditions of royal ladies. And I agree, the balance of the outfit and the combination of formality and youthfulness is very well done.
She’s not shy about wearing a hat, hopefully she is not shy to try other milliners as well, Belgium or other nationalities. There is so much creativity out there to explore.
The scale and color are terrific, however, the bow appears flat and without dimension thus making this a miss for me. Finer quality materials and improved workmanship would elevate this concept and along with a pale pink shoe would find me back on board with this ensemble.
Good job, Princess Elisabeth! I heard there was a downpour of rain at this event and Elisabeth was drenched! What a trouper! Too bad she is following in her mother’s footsteps as far as milliners go. Maybe as she gets older she will branch out! Fingers crossed! I loved the pairing of pink with white/cream.
Youthfully elegant in a pretty shade of pink. Looking forward to seeing more hats on Princess Elisabeth.
I adore this hat, it really suits her. I use this material too and it is lovely to handle and ideal for this kind of saucer models
Very fresh and age-appropriate look for this elegant young princess.
I share your hopes, HQ, that Elisabeth tries some other milliners. Maybe she could even go see our favorite Dutch milliner (where has she been recently?) since they are practically neighbors.
Must be so hard for a young woman to judge out how to dress for a formal occasion like this, but still be youthful and on trend. I think she nails it!
👍 nice