Author Archives: Royal Hats

Dutch Prinsjesdag 2016

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Members of the Dutch Royal family celebratated Prinsjesdag today, the start of a new session of Dutch parliament. King Willem-Alexander, who addressed a joint session of the Dutch Senate and House of Representatives, was joined in The Hague by Queen Máxima, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien. As per tradition, the women wore 18th century court dress (long gowns and hats).

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Queen Máxima gave new life to a much worn natural straw hat, pairing it with a royal blue silk blouse and embellished gold skirt by Claes Iversen.
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This design is one of Máxima’s original upswept brim ‘slice’ hats in natural Parabuntal straw, simply trimmed with a grosgrain ribbon hat band and side bow (and according to the designer, in Máxima’s favourite colour). It is an incredibly versatile piece (evidenced by the five other ensembles she has paired it with) that balances beautifully with the gold skirt. In many ways, I think this ensemble works better as a whole picture than in smaller parts because the balance of colour and texture is so beautiful (how great is the contrast of royal blue against the gold hat and skirt?)
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 Closeup, the combination of hat, hairstyle, sash and earrings is a quartet also balanced to perfection.
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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. It is the “Bellissima” design
Previously Worn: August 30, 2014; May 24, 2014; May 30, 2013; January 24, 2013; January 21, 2013; July 2, 2011
Princess Laurentien topped her Hardies Hague and Talbot Runhof chain mail armour inspired gown with a coordinating cocktail hat. With a beret base made of layered black and silver sinamay to replicate the multi dimensional gunmetal grey metallic colour of her gown, the hat is finished with a wide ruffle of pleated crinoline. It’s a strong look full of amazing texture that Laurentien carries very well.

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Princess Laurentien, Sep 20, 2016 in Eudia | Royal Hats

Designer: Eudia
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Two wonderful hats paired with fantastic ensembles today in The Hague, don’t you agree?
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Jump over to this post to see all of Queen Máxima’s past Prinesjesdag hats.
Photos from Netherlands Royal Pool, Netherlands Royal Pool and Michel Porro via Getty; Getty as indicated

Catching Up With the British Royals in Scotland

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Some of you have been patiently waiting for photos of Queen Elizabeth and her family members venturing out to church in Scotland this summer. Finally, there are some to share!

Backing up to September 4, the Queen was spotted en route to Sunday Service with the Duke of Edinburgh in a new chapeau. This looks to be a design in white straw with a domed, straight sided crown and gently raised brim on one side. Embellished with a white net veil with purple spots, two purple feather quills and a multi-looped purple straw bow, the hat is clearly designed to coordinate with the Queen’s purple coat and dotted dress. We’ll have to wait for a better view to offer a final verdict on this hat but the ensemble looks promising.

Queen Elizabeth, Sep 4, 2016 | Royal Hats   Queen Elizabeth, Sep 4, 2016 | Royal Hats

Queen Elizabeth, Sep 4, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown 
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

On September 11, Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh were accompanied to church by the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Rothesay (Camilla’s Scottish title), the Earl and Countess of Strathearn (William and Kate’s Scottish titles), the and members of the Middleton family (see photos of everyone here).  The Queen repeated this silk embroidered wool hat with diagonal crown and wired sequin flower trim by Angela Kelly while Camilla repeated her Philip Treacy feather trimmed red beret. Kate was the only member of the party in a new hat that, unfortunately, was obscured in the car as she drove past. In burgundy wool, we’ll have to wait for this piece’s next outing to see it completely.

This weekend saw the Queen head off to church in a hat we have not seen on her in over a decade  In cream straw, this hat features a stovepipe crown and short brim and is trimmed with a wide twisted hatband in caramel straw and curling feather quills.

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Designer: unknown 
Previously Worn: February 10, 2005; July 27, 2004; June 2002

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were joined again by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Rothesay. Camilla looked to be wearing a twin to the red beret with double feathers she wore the week before, this one in grey. It’s hard to tell with this view but this I think this hat has great potential to look wonderfully chic on her

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Designer: likely Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new
Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie also joined their grandparents for Sunday Service. Princess Eugenie (who arrived at Aberdeen airport en route to Balmoral accompanied by her boyfriendJack Brooksbank and set rumours of an impending royal engagement into overdrive) repeated a compact calot hat covered in grey and taupe mixed feathers.
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Designer: I suspect Stephen Jones
Previously Worn:June 16, 2012
We often see Queen Elizabeth debut new hats at high profile events and it’s fun to see her trot out new pieces while on vacation. Do any of these hats stand out to you in particular?

Closer Look: The Pink Somerville Pleated Brim

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Royal HatsWhen her nephew, Viscount Linley, married on October 8, 1993, Queen Elizabeth chose a pink hat with distinctive silk pleated brim:

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This hat is included in the Holyrood House section of this year’s three part exhibition, ‘Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen’s Wardrobe’. The Royal Collection Trust shared this closer view of this piece as it appears on display:

This look unveils a few surprises. The hat entirely made of straw, the crown is uncovered, and the pleats are made of fine silk chiffon which gives a much lighter feel to the piece than it had in photos taken when Her Majesty wore it. This peek shows the design to be far more delicate and refined than it originally appeared – it’s certainly not the puffy pleated sofa cushion that I previously thought it to be.
What do you think of this hat design, now that we’ve had a closer look?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Prince of Wales Attends New Zealand Battle Commemoration

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The Prince of Wales was in Longueval, France, late last week to take part in a New Zealand National Commemorative service marking the 100th Anniversary of the WWI Battle of the Somme at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery. For this occasion, Prince Charles wore the uniform of his role as Field Marshal of the New Zealand Army complete with distinctive quadri-corner deeply pinched hat. Amidst the Prince’s many uniforms, the hat of this one certainly stands out.

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Photos from Clarence House and Getty as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Royal Hats

Queen Elizabeth, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge snapped last weekend en route to church in Scotland. Kate’s burgundy hat is a design we’ve not seen on her before (Daily Mail)

Prince Henrik opened a new hunting chase house last weekend in an appropriately outdoorsy hat (The Danish Monarchy)

Carina Axelsson in a chic fedora while on holiday in Devon (Carina Axelsson blog)

Nice to see Princess Anne up and about again at the Whatley Manor Horse trials after her recent sickness (Daily Mail)

A preview of the final section of this year’s amazing exhibition on Queen Elizabeth’s fashion due to open at Windsor Castle today. It looks like the exhibit focuses on ensembles Her Majesty has worn at Windsor and the hat display are designs all worn to Ascot (including the orange one dubuted just this year)

There are several John Boyd sun hats here that I’d love to see on several British royal heads. And a few more for myself, please.

Countess Gunnila Bernadotte passed away on Monaday. While we did not see the Countess in many hats (just this one at Princess Leonore’s christening), The Royal Court Jeweller has a lovely memorial post looking at her jewels. 

Great article by the Countess of Wessex about her upcoming bike ride in support of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (Daily Mail)

Our friends over at Luxarazzi have linked to an interesting look inside preparations for an official dinner at the Grand Ducal Family’s residence, Château de Berg. While the report is not in English, it still provides a great peek inside a working royal palace. 

Somehow, I missed the the release of this stunning image of Prince Daniel and Prince Oscar, taken at Crown Princess Victoria’s July 15th birthday celebration. See two others taken the same day here and here.