Category Archives: Announcements, Extras & Millinery News

2019 Royal Hat Stats: Royal Houses

Posted on by

From time to time, questions arise here about which royals wear the most royal hats. I’ve pulled together some statistics from 2019 for us to discuss this week and next, starting with hats by royal house; the measurement here is the combined number of times that each royal member of house wore a hat/headpiece (click on the graph to see a larger version of it):

I’m sometimes asked why I cover so many Imperial royal hats and the answer lies above- it’s because we see them most frequently. I recognize there are some grey areas in these metrics (I’ve included Queen Elizabeth’s photographed church outings and counted hats worn to weddings even though they are, arguably, not “public” events and am limited to counting the Imperial royal hats covered in the media- and suspect there are more actually worn) but even with a degree of error, these totals give us an idea of hat wearing realities for different royal houses.

For another perspective, this averages out to us seeing a Danish and Dutch royal hat worn roughly once a week, a Belgian royal hat worn once every other week in comparison to six Imperial and five British royal hats a week. It’s a significant difference of frequency.

Do these numbers surprise you as they did me?! Stay tuned tomorrow- we’ll compare number of times each of the queens/consorts wore hats last year. Some of the results will surprise.

 

This Week’s Extras

Posted on by

Cozy knit winter hats on Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, Marie Ducruet and Prince Achileas of Greece
Informal summer hats on Mike and Mia Tindall in Australia last week
Lovely to see Queen Elizabeth’s caramel felt hat with brightly coloured feathers step out for church yesterday.
Embed from Getty Images
The Duchess of Cambridge celebrated her birthday last week and among the wishes was this fun animation that gives us a moment to enjoy some of her hats.
The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
For our dear gents, this classic black rabbit felt fur trilby by Danish brand Hornskov København
Love the draped front on this violet felt bumper hat with felt floral trim by Czech milliner Jolanta Kotabova
Black felt formed beret with iridescent bow by British milliner Julian Garner
Wide brimmed peach straw pyramid saucer with trailing bow by Australian milliner Marilyn Van den Berg
Deep plum felt trilby with dramatic veil by British milliner Rachel Trevor Morgan
Emerald green straw brimmed picture hat with black crown and flying bow by Australian brand Millinery By Mel

And the most beautiful bandeau headpiece in ombre sinamay and silk roses by British milliner Dillon Wallwork

Much has been written and said about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s surprise announcement last week that they are stepping down as senior members of the British royal family to carve out an independent path. I appreciated this article by mental health advocate (and, it seems, friend of the couple) Bryony Gordon, published in the Telegraph (not one of the newspapers involved in the Sussex’s lawsuit). What articles have you found insightful and useful?
Lovely new family portrait released by the Luxembourg royal family to celebrate the new year.

Photos from social media as indicated

Passing of Infanta Pilar

Posted on by

Infanta Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz, Dowager Viscountess of la Torre, passed away in Madrid at the age of 83 today. The elder sister of King Juan Carlos of Spain, she was popularly known as ‘Doña Pi’ after renouncing her rights of succession to marry Don Luis Gómez-Acebo y Duque de Estrada, Viscount de la Torre, Grandee of Spain in May 1967; together, they raised four sons and a daughter. President of the International Equestrian Federation from 1994 to 2006 and member of the International Olympic Committee from 1996 to 2006, Infanta Pilar was closely involved with a number of charitable causes and organizations.

She wore two particularly memorable hats to the weddings of her nephew, King Felipe in 2004 and Infanta Cristina in 1997 that I share in tribute to her now.

Our thoughts are with the extended Spanish royal family as they grieve her loss.

Photos from Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images and Gianni Ferrari/Cover/Getty Images

Hat Types: The Garbo

Posted on by

One of my goals for 2020 is to complete our glossary of hat shapes. Today we’re looking at the Garbo hat.

History:  After a decade of immense popularity during the 1920s, the cloche hat naturally took on other variations, many which included a longer brim. These longer brims were sometimes swept up in front (see Greta Garbo here in a 1931 poster) but more commonly, were left to gently fall around the face. Swedish actress Greta Garbo, who built a film career during the 1920s playing exotic, sophisticated, women of the world, had become an international sensation during the 1930s (moving from silent to speaking films in 1930) and her reputation and immense popularity paired well with this hat style’s mysterious glamour, the two becoming forever linked. Replaced by smaller scale hats in the 1940s and 50s, Garbo hats surged back into the forefront of fashion in the 1970s. Today, they are seen as a chic, less formal take on a wide brimmed picture hat.

Characteristics: A Garbo hat has a rounded, closely fitted crown similar to a cloche, with a low set brim of medium-wide brim. Typically made of felt, the brim falls gently around the wearer’s face, giving it a relaxed, slightly floppy appearance. The waved shape of the brim is intensified when the crown is fitted more tightly on the head.

Royals Associated with this Hat Style:  none in particular. The phrase “effortlessly chic” comes to mind describing Garbo hats and their royal wearers.

 

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

 

 

 

What do you think of the Garbo hat?

Photos from Mark Renders and Michel Porro via Getty; Didier Lebrun/Photo News S.A./Corbis; Gisela Schober, and Michel Porro, Alain Benainous, and  AFP, via Getty; Stella Pictures; Pascal Le Segretain via Getty; Stella Pictures

 

This Week’s Extras

Posted on by

Last Sunday, Princess Kako was spotted arriving at the Imperial Royal Palace to greet her grandparents on the occasion of her 25th birthday.
Also last Sunday, Princess Hisako attended the national Women’s Football Championship final in a chocolate bowler variation with interesting black knotted felt hatband. On January 1st, she attended the Emperor’s Cup football match in an ecru bumper hat with fur brim and side bow.


Members of the Norwegian royal family wore simple bandeau headpieces (some in pink, presumably a statement of hope) for yesterday’s funeral of Ari Behn. Princess Laurentien wore a sleek black turban-style hat. You can also read Princess Märtha Louise’s touching statement, released last night, here.


Embed from Getty Images

The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Statement folded star headpiece by British milliner Bee Smith
Elegant brimless blocked hat in oxblood felt by Russian milliner Lia Gureeva
Dark green ruffled velvet bandeau by UK brand Camilla Rose Millinery
White button percher with wonderful printed twists by Hong Kong-based Irish milliner Noeleen

Lovely picture of the Emperor and Empress Emeritus and their family, taken in mid-December
Amazing new photo of Queen Elizabeth and the UK’s future 3 kings released to celebrate this new decade

Photos from social media as indicated