Category Archives: Announcements, Extras & Millinery News

Countess of Wessex’s Commonwealth Day Hats

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The Commonwealth Day service, held every year on the second Monday in March, always brings us a lovely lineup of hats, often the first spring designs we see of the season. After last week’s beautiful service, I thought it might be interesting to look back at retrospectives of hats we’ve seen different members wear. Interestingly, the Countess of Wessex has only attended the service four times:

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Sharply sidesweeping grey slice hat with open weave brim and pale pink feather trim by Jane Taylor in 2012;
Ecru lace covered beret percher with multi looped bow also by Jane Taylor in 2014

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Navy  straw percher with swirling cream and gold feather trim in 2018 and navy felt domed pillbox with dotted veil in 2020, both by Jane Taylor

While all four hats could be described as having neutral palates, they each still make a significant style statement! The large grey hat with pink feathers in 2012 is one I’ve hoped we’d see again- even though the feather placement is a little awkward, it’s such a showstopping design and paired so beautifully with Sophie’s oyster silk coat.

What does this progression of four hats, worn over eight years, tell you about the Countess’ evolution of millinery style?

Photos from Getty as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Queen Elizabeth repeated her turquoise fabric covered hat with hourglass crown and black velvet floral trim to attend church yesterday morning at Windsor Castle.
Sweet snap shared by Marie Ducruet on Saturday
With so few royal events happening these days, let’s take a look at some of the non-royal hats at the Cheltenham Festival that caught my eye last week:

The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:

Spectacular beaded halo bandeau with gravity-defying, cocooning silk abaca by Australian brand Velvet and Tonic
Ice blue wide brimmed hat with origami folded panels by British milliner Bee Smith
Amazing peony headpiece made only of orange and green feathers & quills by Australian milliner Jill Humphries
Winter white cloche with embroidered and appliqued black silhouette trim by German milliner Angelika Löbering
Blue straw hat with hand beaded and embroidered lace covered bow by Dutch milliner Wies Mauduit
Charming natural straw saucer with pink gingham binding, butterflies and floral embroidery by NY-based Cigmond Millinery
Gold straw boater with sparkly webbed overlay by Irish millinery Ashleigh Myles
Palest pink crin headpiece with the most delicate large fluted ruffles by British milliner Awon Golding
Pale blue leather percher with blue velvet orchids and net veil by Tasmanian brand Cessia Alice

And two stunners to highlight- the first, a monochrome pyramid with ombre chevron folds and curled black quill by Australian milliner Angie Jackman and the second, an exuberant, vibrant and downright happy headpiece of interlinked sinemay and crin rings by Northern California-based milliner Amy Fowler.


A lovely, very glamorous shot of Flora Ogilvy and her fiance, Timothy Vesterberg, taken a few months ago in Italy
We end the week with some royal helpers- Queen Mathilde with her children, delivering flowers and sweets to an elderly care facility, waving from the outside.

Photos from social media as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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My sincere thanks, everyone, for continuing the royal hat conversation here over the past month. It was wonderful to step away from the blog and know you would care for it while I was away. Thank you very much. 

You have all done an amazing job sharing all the royal hats that have made an appearance over the past month. Here’s another look at the pair for church this morning at Windsor. Queen Elizabeth repeated her lilac-grey straw hat with handmade blooms by Rachel Trevor Morgan while the Duchess of Sussex wore a headpiece of what looks like black straw and crin petals that I believe is new.
The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
From UK milliner Vivien Sheriff, a fuchsia beret percher covered in orange lace with beaded applique flower trim
Black & white straw saucer with black lace applique flower trim by French brand Mei Mei France Chapeaux
Fantastic handmade gold wire floral bandeau by Irish milliner Ashleigh Myles
For our dear gents, these dapper and very sleek wool caps by UK brand Marrison Millinery
Wide teal dotted silk bandeau with feather explosion and sequinned bow by Kentucky-based The Mad Duchess
Sleekly elegant ecru straw cuffed teardrop design with pearl trimmed quill by Irish milliner Sheila McCarthy
Olive and ochre felt wide brimmed saucer with slim gold trim and bows from British milliner Sarah Cant
Midnight blue fur felt beret percher with wonderful leather twist trim from Australian milliner Tracy Mackinnon

And from Dutch milliner Wies Mauduit, this fantastic cocktail hat with silk satin covered button base trimmed with a mass of blue and black feathers studded with crystals and pearls and the most wonderfully patterned birdcage veil.

Princess Marie Chantal is releasing a book this week

Great message from Princess Esmeralda of Belgium

Sheikh Mohammad attempted to keep the terrifying ways he has treated female members of his family a secret but it came out this week.  This solidifies my support behind Princess Haya and makes me hope there will be further investigation into Sheikha Shamsa and Sheikha Latifa’s current realities. (BBC)
Lovely pair of photos released by the Swedish court in celebration of Prince Oscar’s fourth birthday. A few weeks ago, another pair were released for Princess Estelle’s eighth birthday.

Photos from social media as indicated

Personal Note

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I need to step away from Royal Hats for a few weeks. After making a remarkable recovery from a health crisis and several surgeries, my mother unexpectedly passed away yesterday.  She was incredibly touched by your well wishes for her recovery- after all we hear that is negative on the internet, she was amazed that strangers from around the world took the time to write her a message of encouragement. She was also absolutely delighted with the nickname you gave her- Hat Queen Mother – and would issue me a royal wave whenever she felt particularly regal (daily, it seemed!), citing her new title as justification to do so. This new moniker gave her great joy over the last few weeks and for this, I thank you so very much.

My mom was a talented amateur seamstress and I grew up at the foot of her sewing machine. I can identify fabric types, interesting construction details (and shoddy workmanship!) thanks to her tutelage and while she never commented here, her voice was woven into our conversations simply because it’s ingrained in my own perspective. She checked Royal Hats each morning, gently scolded when there was not a new post (or a feature of a hat she didn’t think warranted one!) and looked forward to Ascot more than anyone. She was my biggest fan and I can’t express how much I will miss her.

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Over the coming days, I’ll post open posts for you to comment on (and share any hats that make an appearance) while I’m away. See you in a few weeks. And thank you.

Photos from Getty as indicated 

This Week’s Extras

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Princess Beatrice rang in Chinese New Year in a pearl trimmed Zara bandeau
Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Sofia in streamlined black hats (and headpiece) on Tuesday for the funeral of Dagmar von Arbin


On Wednesday, Queen Elizabeth wore a silk headscarf for an engagement- something we don’t often see her do. She officially opened the new Wolferton Pumping Station 72 years after father, King George VI, opened the original station on February 2, 1948.
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On Thursday, King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia were in warm winter hats for the Jokkmokk Fair in northern Sweden
Queen Margrethe repeated her smart navy wool covered hat with tartan hatband by Mathilde Thoe Førster yesterday to open the new Copenhagen Museum
The following new millinery designs caught my (and my mum’s !) eyes this week:
Fantastical floral wire vine headpiece made of recycled plastic by Australian milliner Brea Moreland
Ochre straw retro mushroom brimmed hat with blue silk bowed hatband by UK brand Gillys MIllinery
Red straw beret percher with feather flowers and wired crin loops by British milliner Rosie Olivia

And two to highlight- the first, from British milliner Marissa Groom, is a cream straw button percher with pastel sinamay flames and rows of cream ruffles. The second, from Japanese brand Maxim, is a brown felt design with cut felt feather hatband and woven chain detail around the brim edge.


The Danish monarchy released new portraits of Crown Princess Mary and Princess Marie to celebrate their respective birthdays this week


Sweet new family portrait of Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel and family (I think Princess Estelle’s hairbow is from Livly)
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8SCFxAn2Rv/
We end this week with an interesting clip of Queen Elizabeth, shared this week on the anniversary of her accession.

Photos from Getty Images and social media as indicated