This Week’s Extras

Royal Hats

Thanks to reader Avery who forwarded this report of Princess Hisako of Takamado in a sweet straw hat to open a Dali exhibition earlier this month (News 24)

The Belgian Royal Family spoted cycling through Brussels last weekend for national Car Free day

Queen Sonja in a smart rain cloche to host an outdoor movie premiere in the palace garden with 12,000 guests. (Royal House of Norway). This event, which concluded King Harald and Queen Sonja’s silver jubilee celebrations, featured Erik Poppe’s Oscar nominated movie “King No” about King Haakon and the German invasion of Norway in 1940  You can read more about the film here or watch the trailer here.  

The Duke of Kent is also visiting Canada and looked most handsome in a kilt and tam yesterday in Brampton, Ontario

 

 Royal Hats

The Countess of Wessex’s blog about her amazing fundraising ride from Edinburgh to London is a great read that you shouldn’t miss (British Royal Family)

Excellent feature (with photos and considerable video) on Prince William’s work, work environment and colleagues (BBC)

And speaking of the Cambridges- they are due to arrive in my part of the world this afternoon. Here is their detailed itinerary for the coming week (Government of Canada). Before you get your hopes us- this will be a fairly informal tour and I don’t expect to see Kate in anything more formal that a fishing hat.

Back to Back Events With Blue Hats For Princess Beatrix

On Wednesday, Princess Beatrix was in Oldebroek to open a restored windmill. Her hat for this occasion is a bit of a surprise- in grey and blue straw, this design features a flat crown and double upturned brim accented with black piping. We seldom see two toned hats (especially on Beatrix) and while I’m not sure I like the double brim, it’s an interesting piece that keeps drawing me in for another look.

Princes Beatrix, Sep 21, 2016 | Royal Hats  Princes Beatrix, Sep 21, 2016 | Royal Hats

Princes Beatrix, Sep 21, 2016 | Royal Hats  Princes Beatrix, Sep 21, 2016 | Royal Hats

Princes Beatrix, Sep 21, 2016 | Royal Hats

 

Designer: unconfirmed. It looks like Suzanne Moulijn
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Yesterday, Princess Beatrix attended conference on the 30th anniversary of CoMensha, an organization that specialises in human trafficking. She repeated a dark navy hat with domed crown wrapped in layers of wide straw ribbon. The effect of this pseudo-brim creates a hybrid shape with the straight sides of a pillbox and the indented crown and high brim of a bumper.  In the end, it’s another one of Beatric’s ‘cake’ hats, this time in blueberry with stripes of icing round the side.

Princes Beatrix, Sep 22, 2016 | Royal Hats  Princes Beatrix, Sep 22, 2016 | Royal Hats

Princes Beatrix, Sep 22, 2016 | Royal Hats  Princes Beatrix, Sep 22, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: likely Suzanne Moulijn
Previously Worn: November 9, 2012
Your thoughts on these two blue Dutch royal hats?
Photos from PPE/Buys; Albert Nieboer via PPE; Twitter and Instagram photos as indicated

Princess Alexandra Opens Hospital Wing

Princess Alexandra opened the New Victoria Foundation Wing and the Charles Hutton Day Unit at the New Victoria Hospital yesterday (interestingly, 30 years after she opened the Alexandra Ward at the same hospital!). For this event, she wore a mushroom grey hat with straight sided, dome crown trimmed with a wide hatband in the same charcoal dotted print as her skirt. While I wish the crown on this design was a little lower (and the hat band was either flat or much more ruched), I do like the chic grey and pink colour scheme of her ensemble.

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: uncertain- I think it might be new
Do any of you remember seeing this hat on Princess Alexandra before?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Best Repeated Royal Hat: July & August 2016

2016 best repeat small

While the overall number of royal hatted events slowed down considerably over the summer, the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme and a number of foreign visits saw numerous occasions which included hats. Based on your comments, nine repeated millinery designs stood out to you in July and August as particularly impressive – it is these designs that we now face off to pick a single winner that will move on to our year-end contest for best repeated royal hat of 2016.

Click on any of the photos below to jump back to original posts with additional pictures and information on each design. Here are your favourite repeated royal hats (and headpiece!) worn in July and August, in the order they were worn:

1.Duchess of Cambridge, July 1, 2016 in Silvia Fletcher for Lock and Co.| Royal Hats  2.Duchess of Cornwall, July 1, 2016 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats 3.2016-07-01 Germany 2.

Duchess of Cambridge’s black lattice brimmed hat by Silvia Fletcher for Lock & Co worn in France July 1
Duchess of Cornwall’s cream and navy straw hat by Philip Treacy worn in France July 1
Countess of Wessex in a blue straw percher hat with lace trim by Jane Taylor worn in Germany July 1

4.Queen Elizabeth, July 1, 2016 in Rachel Trevor Morgan | Royal Hats  5.Queen Elizabeth, July 3, 2016 in Rachel Trevor Morgan | Royal Hats  6.Queen Máxima, July 3, 2016 in Fabienne Delvgine | Royal Hats

Queen Elizabeth’s lilac straw hat with roses by Rachel Trevor morning worn in Scotland July 1
Queen Elizabeth in a Rachel Trevor Morgan design in blue and red straw worn in Scotland July 3
Queen Máxima’s Fabienne Delvigne designed pink hat with sideswept ‘slice’ brim worn July 4

7.Queen Elizabeth, July 5, 2016 in Rachel Trevor Morgan | Royal Hats  8.2016-07-13-3-rifles-1  9.Crown Princess Mary, August 27, 2016  | Royal Hats

Queen Elizabeth in a textured yellow straw Rachel Trevor Morgan design with silk roses worn July 6
Princess Alexandra’s ecru straw hat with hatband bow, net and rose trim worn July 13 in Edinburgh
Crown Princess Mary’s cream straw bow fascinator with feathers worn August 27

Voting will remain open until next Friday, September 30 at midnight GMT and each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. To avoid unnecessary influence, results will remain hidden until the poll closes. Have fun voting!

Photos from Pool/Sam Hussein and Chris Jackson via Getty; Westfallen-Blatt; Press Association;The British Monarchy; Michel Porro via Getty; Press Association; Craig Hayes/3 Rifles; Stella Pictures

Best New Royal Hat: July & August 2016

Royal HatsIt’s no secret, dearest readers, that we see fewer royal hats over the summer months than we do at any other time of year. And when there are less royal hats, there are even fewer new royal hats! As such, our next monthly poll to decide favourite designs will combine the hats we saw in July and August but don’t worry- thanks to WWI commemorations, a major national day, a car rally and some Imperial visits, there are numerous designs to review.

Seven new hats worn over the summer stood out in particular, based on your comments, and now it’s time to chose your single favourite. These seven finalists are shown below in the order they were worn. Click on each picture or its caption below to jump back to original posts with additional photos and information on each hat: 

1.Duchess of Cambridge, June 30, 2016 | Royal Hats   2. Princess Anne, July 1, 2016 | Royal Hats Princess Anne, July 1, 2016 | Royal Hats  

Duchess of Cambridge in a black felt pillbox with bow at the back worn in France on June 30
Princess Anne’s pale blue saucer with bow and straw leaf detail worn in Canada on July 1 

3.Queen Silvia, July 12, 2016 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats  4.Queen Mathilde, July 21, 2016 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats  5.Princess Mako, July 29, 2016 | Royal Hats

Queen Silvia’s red straw calot with straw twist by Philip Treacy worn in Germany July 12
Queen Mathilde’s blush pink headpiece by Fabienne Delvigne worn for National Day, July 21
Princess Mako’s navy straw hat with rolled brim worn in Hiroshima on July 29

6. Princess Hisako, August 10, 2016 | Royal Hats  7.Queen Silvia, August 27, 2016 | Royal Hats

Princess Hisako’s sleek white hat worn in Hiroshima on August 10
Queen Silvia’s multi coloured diamond print hat worn for the annual King’s Rally on August 27

Voting will remain open until next Friday, Septmeber 30 at midnight GMT and each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. For added suspense, results will not be visible until the poll closes. Good luck!

Photos from UK Press via Getty; CBC; VOCM; IBL; EPA; Asahi; Sankei; and IBL