Author Archives: Royal Hats

Ascot 2022 Day 1: Princess Beatrice & Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

Posted on by

Princess Beatrice topped a floral maxi dress with a halo bandeau headpiece in natural straw trimmed with pink silk abaca bows and silk flowers.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

The lightness of the woven straw base and delicate flowers is enchanting on Beatrice, the smaller scale balancing the dress well and warm colour of the natural straw suits her so well. The overall look is  fresh, youthful and oh so pretty for a hot summer’s day.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer:  Floral Straw Headband by Juliette Botterill. Zimmerman dress. 
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new. 

Beatrice was joined today by her husband, Edoardo, in a smart black top hat.

Embed from Getty Images

Images from Getty as indicated  

Ascot 2022 Day 1: Prince of Wales & Duchess of Cornwall

Posted on by

And we are off to the races again! The royal carriage procession was led today by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. Camilla wore a new hat in a Garbo shape with rounded crown and extended brim. This design has a diagonal pleated straw wrap around the crown and the hat is trimmed with a layered double silk hatband and multi-looped bow with flying pointed tails and a beautiful silk rose with trailing vine of silk leaves.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

We see Camilla in so many sidesweeping brims, it’s a nice change to see an entirely downward facing one. This hat is so beautifully balanced between the elevated crown wrap and bow and the colour is magnificent. It’s exquisite.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Designer:  bespoke version of OC-917 from Philip Treacy SS 2022. The silk leaves of the rose were made by Svetlana Faulkner 
Previously Worn:  This hat is new

The Prince of Wales repeated his antique black silk top hat.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Let’s get to the hat chat- thoughts about the Duchess’ new hat?

Images from Getty as indicated  

Order of the Garter Service 2022

Posted on by

Today saw the return of the Most Noble Order of the Garter Ceremony at St. George’s Chapel. Held every year on the Monday before Royal Ascot, the The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain, established by King Edward III nearly 700 years ago as a personal gift of thanks from the sovereign for those who have held public office, made a significant contribution to national life or been of personal service. After lunch at Windsor Castle, the twenty-four Knights and Ladies of the order process down the hill to St. George’s Chapel, each dressed in elaborate regalia, velvet robes and Tudor-style hats with tall white ostrich plumes. It’s quite a spectacle.

Embed from Getty Images

The Prince of Wales, Princess Royal, Earl of Wessex, Duke of Cambridge, Duke of Gloucester, Duke of York, Duke of Kent, and Princess Alexandra are all royal members of the order.

Embed from Getty Images

 

They were joined for the first time by the Duchess of Cornwall, who was appointed to the order today.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Several royal spouses attended the service as well. The Duchess of Cambridge wore a new hat described by the designer as a “Beautiful teardrop hat. Woven straw base. Adorned with an array of silk roses, rosebuds, leaves, and silk abaca bow.”

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

The beret has a lovely shape and this periwinkle blue shade is just splendid. Kate often uses the coat dress + percher hat formula and while I’m always up for experimentation, I can’t argue that it remains a great look on her.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Floral Leaf Teardrop by Juliette Botterill. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new

The Countess of Wessex repeated an ecru straw, oval saucer hat with sharp sidesweep trimmed with white, cream and ecru feathers placed on both sides of the raised brim.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Photos today hint at a lovely sparkling sheen in the straw, which I suspect brings the hat to life when seen in person. I’m still on the fence about the feather placement, which has never seemed quite right to me.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: Jul 5, 2018; June 22, 2017

The Duchess of Gloucester repeated the blue sinamay hat with wide pleated brim she has worn several times recently. Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence repeated his black silk top hat.

Embed from Getty Images

 

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn:  Jun 3, 2022;  March 29, 2022

This is always a lovely kick-off to Ascot week and after a two-year hiatus, it’s so great to see the full event return. What do you think of the hats today at Windsor?

Images from Getty as indicated  

Belgian and Norwegian Queens in New Hats

Posted on by

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde wrapped up a week long official visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo today, a week which saw the Belgian queen in two millinery designs. For their arrival at the N’djili International Airport in Kinshasa on June 7, Queen Mathilde repeated her pale woven pink calot with multi-loop side bow.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Dress by Giambattista Valli
Previously Worn: Jul 10, 2019; May 19, 2016

On June 8, she wore a new red straw circular headpiece with draped ruffle bow on the side.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

I know bandeau designs are not widely embraced by Royal Hats readers and I’m curious- how does this shape rate in comparison? I’ve warmed to ring-shaped headpieces over the years and see them as a good option for royal visits to tropical climates. The ruffled trim on this design isn’t particularly attractive on its own yet gives great movement and presence to the look of the overall piece.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Fabienne Delvigne “Rueda” design. Dress by Natan.
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

On Saturday, Queen Silvia attended the  opening of the National Museum in Oslo in a new hat, a cloche variation in vibrant blue with beautifully bound brim edge.

Embed from Getty Images

Queen Silvia has favoured the cloche shape and the jaunty angle of this one, which sits the hat back almost like a halo brimmed design, is a good variation. The star here is the colour and the slight sheen from the brim binding, that adds just the right punctuation to the monochrome look.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

What do you think of this trio of hats?

Images from Getty as indicated  

This Week’s Extras

Posted on by

We met a new royal hat wearer this week, young Lilibet, who made her debut in the  ‘Lily’ Lace Bow Headband by Village Baby

On Monday, Members of the Mikasa and Takamado families attended a memorial on the 10th anniversary of Prince Tomohito’s passing.

On Tuesday, Princess Hisako repeated a pale silvery blue brocade bumper hat with calla lily trim on the side for an award ceremony

On Wednesday, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence presided over the annual  Founder’s Day Parade at Royal Hospital Chelsea.
Embed from Getty Images
On Thursday, the Countess of Wessex repeated her ecru straw hat with mushroom brim trimmed with ecru and black feathers by Jane Taylor while on a visit to Gibraltar
Yesterday, Crown Princess Kiko wore a grey brimmed hat for a memorial in Hiroshima

Queen Mathilde and Queen Sonja wore new hats last week that we’ll look at in greater depth tomorrow.

Did you see Sarah Cant’s beautiful hat, modelled by Zara Tindall? See the comments for more hats that caught my eye this week.

Lovely photos shared by Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett for the announcement of their engagement. Fashion styled by Maggie Alava.

Are you ready?!

Images from social media as indicated