Author Archives: HatQueen

Sussexes Visit Sydney ANZAC Memorial

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are currently in Australia on their third day of a 16-day tour that will also take them to Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. Today (Saturday, October 20) they attended the official opening of ANZAC Memorial at Hyde Park in Sydney. For this memorial event, the Prince Harry wore the tropical dress Blues and Royals uniform, of which is he is Captain, complete with the gold aiguillette braided ropes over his right shoulder and chest reflecting his new role as personal aide-de-camp to the Queen.

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The Duchess made her first millinery repeat with this black straw teardrop-shaped percher design trimmed with straw twists and a black quill.

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I still think it’s a smart hat for Meghan- not boring nor too exuberant for a memorial event such as this. Black hats probably get the most use of all pieces in a royal millinery closet and for Meghan, this colour will, for a while, be one that blends with her hair. The twist trim makes it stand out a bit and the placement – hugging the right side of Meghan’s face and centered over her right eyebrow – is really well done. There’s little worse than a percher hat plonked in the middle of a royal head.

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Designer: Philip Treacy. It is OC 471 from SS 2018. Dress by Emilia Wickstead.
Previously Worn: August 4, 2018
What do you think of this hat, seeing it now for the second time?
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Photos from Getty as indicated

Queen Reopens Bracknell Complex

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Queen Elizabeth was in Bracknell today to reopen The Lexicon, a revitalized shopping centre that has transformed the city center.  For this event, the Queen repeated in a vibrant turquoise ensemble and felt hat with sloped crown and gently upswept brim, trimmed with a black stripe around the crown, turquoise straw bow loops and handmade pink silk ranunculus blooms.

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The subtle, layered shape of the sloped crown is beautifully executed and so beautifully balanced with the slightly sideswept brim. The pink, aqua and black colour scheme has potential for clash but is so deftly handled that the hat retains a lovely softness (even despite its bright hue!). The handmade flowers are exquisite and the grey floral dress grounds the ensemble.  It’s a very bright hat that few could truly wear well but again, Queen Elizabeth carries it off with ease.

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Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: April 16, 2017
I ADORE that while touring the shopping complex, some bright pink millinery feathers caught Her Majesty’s eye. 
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So readers- what do you think of this hat on this, its second outing?
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Photos from Getty as indicated

Dutch Queen Celebrates Association of Insurers

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On Wednesday, Queen Máxima visited the Dutch Association of Insurers in the Hague to celebrate the organization’s 40th anniversary and reopen their newly renovated office. For this event, she repeated her burgundy velvet calot hat wrapped in a swath of net veil.

It’s a good working hat for Máxima- great colour, small profile, good contrast with her hair- but I prefer it with the velvet top we saw it paired with on its first outing. The mix of patterned skirt, scarlet silk blouse and other burgundy accessories is an interesting one but a bit disjointed.


Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: Nov 29, 2016
What do you think about this ensemble- brave and bold or a bit too much?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hats to this day in 1940, 78 years ago, when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited several bombed areas of London. Queen Elizabeth’s dramatically sideswept brim hat (with swirled pleats on the underside of the raised brim) is all kinds of wonderful and shows, again, how a brim shape we think of as rather contemporary isn’t truly so.

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Photos from Getty as indicated

Queen Commemorates RAF Club Centennary

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Queen Elizabeth visited the Royal Air Force Club in London today where she took part in commemorations of the club’s 100th anniversary, opening the new wing, unveiling a series of newly-commissioned artworks (including a new portrait of herself!), viewing a beautiful new stained-glass window by Jo Salter, Trustee and first British female jet pilot and meeting with past and present members. For this engagement, she repeated her sky blue hat with hourglass curved crown and gently sideswept brim (straw on top, the same wool silk as the crown and coat on the bottom) trimmed with cut green feathers, gold sprigs, large amber glass beads and small blue heather flowers.

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In Her Majesty’s sea of medium blue hats I’ll admit- this is not my favourite. While I still find the crown shape bit clunky and the trim a bit overenthusiastic, the colour is lovely and the combination of green feathers on the blue felt is really charming.

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Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: August 6, 2018
What do you think of this hat on this, its second outing?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hats to this day, 30 years ago, and a very smart royal blue Philip Somerville hat worn for the start of a state visit to Spain.

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Dutch Monarchs Visit Zeeland

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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima made a regional visit to Schouwen-Duiveland and Tholen in the province of Zeeland today. For this day away, Queen Máxima repeated her pleated red turban.

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It’s impossible to talk about this hat without including the rest of her ensemble- a stunning new Claes Iversen blouse and embellished skirt. On its own, this hat is not one of my favourites as this turban shape’s high, full crown gives it a helmet vibe. Paired with this blouse and skirt, however, the turban’s impact is muted and it becomes a supporting note to this vibrant ensemble. With a sleek chignon, hoop earrings and magenta pumps, the hat tops a beautifully balanced outfit that certainly makes a statement but works so well as a whole.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Blouse and skirt by Claes Iversen.
Previously Worn: March 20, 2015

It takes a certain amount of confidence to pull off an ensemble where a puffy red turban is a supporting feature but Queen Máxima does it so well. I love this look on her- what do you think of it?!
Photos from Getty as indicated