We are continuing our look at royal hat wardrobe inventories with a peek today at all off the black hats in the Duchess of Cornwall’s millinery closet. Since beginning her royal life in 2005, we have seen Camilla in twelve designs (shown here in the order they were introduced):
1.Embed from Getty Images 2.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: unknown (likely Philip Treacy); Philip Treacy
Introduced: January 5, 2005; November 4, 2005
3.Embed from Getty Images 4.Embed from Getty Images 5.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Philip Treacy; unknown; Philip Treacy
Introduced: June 16, 20006 September 2, 2006; September 11, 2006
6.Embed from Getty Images 7.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: unknown; Philip Treacy
Introduced: December 14, 2007; November 9, 2008
8.Embed from Getty Images 9Embed from Getty Images
Designer: unknown; Lock and Co.
Introduced: June 25, 2011; January 27, 2012
10.Embed from Getty Images 11.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Lock and Co; Philip Treacy;
Introduced: September 11, 2013; March 14, 2014
12.Embed from Getty Images 13.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Lock and Co.; Philip Treacy
Introduced: September 11, 2014; December 25, 2015
Since this post was published, the Duchess has added the following black hats to her wardrobe:
14. Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Philip Treacy
Introduced: Nov 10, 2019
Of the designs shown above, I suspect that #3 and #4 are retired (the flower in #3 showed significant signs of wear after a few wears and I suspect it was replaced with #11)- this might also be true for #5 and #8 which both have not been seen in several years.
I find this group a little disappointing thanks to some dowdy shapes and some nubbly textured straw that lacks some refinement. I think Camilla is at her millinery best when in collaboration with Philip Treacy, evidenced here by the beautifully crisp design of #2 (a hat that still in circulation after a decade), the beautifully balanced movement of #11 and the smooth elegance of #13.
What do you think of this lineup? Which hats are your favourites? And, if you were to become Camilla’s stylist for a day, what kind of black designs might you want to add?
Photos from Getty as indicated
As we catch up determining our favourite royal hats worn this year, we’re going to jump back again to September to choose our favourite new design. There were six millinery designs that stood out to you in particular, based on your comments, and it is these six designs that we place side by side in comparison now.
Royal Hats 