Royal Hats Last Year: The Rest

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Royal Hats

Royal Hats Year In Review 2014 We have nearly come to the end of our review of all the hats, headpieces and feathery puffs we saw grace royal heads in 2014. Please click on each photo to link to the original post on each hat, complete with additional views, larger photos and detailed information. Here are the final royal hats we saw in 2014:

Austria- Archduchess Marie-Astrid (1-2), Archduchess Adelaide (3), Archduchess Margherita of Austria-Este (4) and Archduchess Anna-Gabriele (5)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Romania- Princess Maria (6) and Crown Princess Margareta (7-8)

6. 7. 8.

Italy- Duchess of Castro (9-10), Princess Cecilia of Bourbon-Parma (11) and Princess Maria of Bourbon-Parma (12)

9. 10. 11. 12.

Iran- Empress Farah and Greece- Princess Marie-Chantal

13. 14.

British Nobility- Lady Brabourne (15-16), the Duchess of Devonshire (17-18) and the Dowager Duchess of Marlborough (19)

15. 16. 17. 18. 19.

The next post will FINALLY invite you all, dear readers, to formally nominate your favourite hat, least favourite hat and best overall hat style from the royal hats we saw in 2014. Will any of these hats make your list?

Please click on each photo to link back to the original post with additional information and photo sources

Funeral of Queen Fabiola

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Royal Hats

The Belgian Royal Family was joined by cousins from the houses of Luxembourg and Liechtenstin for Queen Fabiola’s funeral today in Brussels. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore a small black velvet pillbox which was trimmed with a simple band of black silk around the perimeter of the hat.

Embed from Getty Images

Ninety-three year old Grand Duke Jean also made the trip from Luxembourg to bid farewell to his late sister-in-law.

Embed from Getty Images

Princess Stéphanie, the Hereditary Grand Duchess, wore a larger scale, rounded black pillbox hat.

Embed from Getty Images

Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein and Archduchess Marie Astrid also wore classic, unembellished black pillbox hats.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

While these simple black pillbox hats were so very appropriate for the funeral today, I think there is also something very beautiful about each of them.

Photos from Getty as indicated

Belgian Royal Wedding: The Guests

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Royal Hats

Royal Hats Yesterday’s wedding of Prince Amedeo, Archduke of Austria-Este and Elisabetta Rosboch von Wolkenstein was attended by a number of royal guests from Austria, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein. Archduke Carl Christian and Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria attended with their entire family (Carl Christian is a first cousin of Prince Amedeo’s father Prince Lorenz while Marie Astrid is a first cousin of his mother Princess Astrid). Marie Astrid wore a sweet cream straw cloche style hat with raised brim in the front. The hat was trimmed with a slate huted straw band around the crown and slate and cream woven flowers on the side. The 1920s style hat was a great shape on Marie Astrid and I thought it was both fun and flattering.

Archduchess Marie Astrid, July 5, 2014 | Royal Hats

Archduchess Kathleen (below, left) and Archduchess Gabriella (below, right), did not appear to wear hats. Archduchess Marie Christine looked to be wearing a gold hair ornament of some fashion (below, center).

Family of Archduchess Marie Astrid, July 5, 2014 | Royal Hats

Archduchess Adelaide wore a black fascinator with wiry feathers and a black dotted veil.

Archduchess Adelaide and Archduchess Marie Astrid, July 5, 2014 | Royal Hats

While Achduchess Marie Astrid’s sister, Princess Margretha of Liechtenstein did not wear a hat (nor did her daugthers), her sister-in-law Countess Diane de Nassau did. Countess Diane wore a simple natural straw picture hat edged in a white band around the brim and a black band around the crown. The clean lines of the hat were an excellent balance for her bold black and red dress. She is seen here with her husband, Prince Jean of Luxembourg (below, left) and brother-in-law, Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg.

Countess Diane of Nassau, July 7, 2014 | Royal Hats

Archduchess Anna-Gabriele of Austria wore a small white rose fascinator with petite feathers. Belgian born Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein pulled out a summer version of the show stopping hat and matching bow-trimmed jacket that she wore to Prince Felix and Princess Clair’s wedding last September. This lavender straw hat featured a sweeping brim that was raised on one side and a spray of pale purple hued feathers. While and I like the white trim on the edge of this hat’s brim, its dramatic shape and beautiful colour, I think this hat would be better paired with a summery floral dress instead of this turtleneck based ensemble.

Archduchess Anna-Gabriele of Austria, July 7, 2014 | Royal Hats Princess Isabelle von und zu Liechtenstein, July 7, 2014 | Royal Hats

The wedding guest list also included; Princess Beatrice of York; Archduchess Maria Beatrice of Austria-Este and Count Arco-Riprand Zinnenberg; Archduchess Isabella of Austria-Este and Count Andrea Czarnocki-Lucheschi; Archduke Carl Peter of Austria and Princess Alexandra of Wrede; and Archduchess Maria Constanza of Austria and Franz Josef von Auersperg, none of whom wore hats. The apparent lack of dress code at this wedding was perplexing to me. We saw hats, day dresses, full-lenth gowns, morning suits, leisure suits and everything in between. I love a royal wedding with a clear dress code (preferably, one that requires the ladies in hats!). That being said, it was a colourful day of royal hats in Rome to celebrate this beautiful young couple. Which hats were your favourites?

Photos from Elisabetta Villa/Stringer via Getty; Elisabetta Villa/Getty, Elisabetta Villa/Getty, Elisabetta Villa/Getty. ElisabettaVilla/Getty, Elisabetta Villa/Getty and Elisabetta Villa/Getty via Zimbio; and Elisabetta Villa/Stringer via Getty

Belgian Royal Wedding: The Families

Posted on July 5, 2014 by Royal Hats

The entire Belgian Royal Family (with the exception of Queen Fabiola) attended today’s wedding of Prince Amedeo, Archduke of Austria-Este and Elisabetta Rosboch von Wolkenstein; as such, there were some marvelous royal hats. Princess Astrid, Archduchess of Austria-Este arrived at the Basilica with the groom, wearing a pale headpiece of dove grey rosettes made by Maison Michel Paris. While I was a little puzzled by the widely contrasting textures in her monochrome ensemble, the mix of rosettes in her hair, silk pleats on her dress, nubby bouclé on her jacket and pearls was such a classic Chanel combination that I have decided to love it.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Prince Amedeo’s sister, Princess Maria-Laura of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este, topped her teal lace Valentino frock (the same one Princess Madeleine wore for her daughter’s christening back in June) with a small headband of teal silk blooms. I thought it was odd that she chose a mini version of her mother’s headpiece- while I liked the shape and scale on young Maria-Laura, the colour variations between the headpiece, earrings and dress made the ensemble unsuccessful for me. I hope, however, she keeps this adorable headpiece and wears it again sometime with a different frock.

Embed from Getty Images

Prince Amedeo’s other sister, Princess Luisa Maria, acted as chief bridesmaid and did not wear a hat (you can see her here in a white gown, helping Elisabetta with the train on her dress). Prince Amedeo’s maternal grandmother, Queen Paola, wore an unexpected pointed beanie cap in sparkle-studded navy fabric. It was a rather avant garde and modern pairing for her navy silk suit and I adored the colour contrast with her hair. I want so badly to love this very daring piece of millinery but this hat depicting the cosmos might be a little too out there even for me.

Embed from Getty Images

While Queen Paola’s hat was bold, Queen Mathilde’s hat was downright bizarre. She topped her exquisite vibrant blue Natan caped dress with a roughly textured, woven leather and fabric, open-topped turban designed by Fabienne Delvigne. From a distance, it looks like she is wearing a bandage wrapped around her head. While I understand the desire to balance the very vibrant colour of her dress with neutral accessories, this heapieces falls flat.

Embed from Getty Images

One of my favourite hats of the day was worn by Prince Amedeo’s other maternal aunt, Princess Claire. She topped her bright fuchsia suit with a classic pinky beige picture hat with a square crown and cartwheel brim. The clean lines of the Fabienne Delvigne designed hat were such a beautiful compliment to her textured suit and the proportion was grand, but not off balance. This is how to do neutral accessories with a bright statement suit.

Embed from Getty Images

The groom’s paternal grandmother, Archduchess Margherita of Austria-Este, topped her lovely pink and white floral jacket with a cream picture hat. I thought the pleated white crin edging around the brim gave a soft and very pretty addition to this hat.

Embed from Getty Images

Finally, the bride’s mother, Italian film producer Countess Lilia de Smecchia, wore a small green brimless hat in the same fabric as her beautifully layered coat. I thought it was, on all accounts, rather flat.

Embed from Getty Images

The Belgian Royal Family are an entertaining bunch when it comes to millinery at major events and today was no exception. Stay tuned tomorrow, when we’ll look at hats worn by other royal guests at this wedding. Until then, which Belgian royal hat was your favourite?

Embed from Getty Images

Photos from Getty as indicated

Dutch Royals Celebrate 16th Anniversary

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Royal Hats

Prince Maurits and Princess Marilène, May 30, 1989 | Royal Hats

Royal Hats

As we have already looked at the hats worn at the civil wedding of Prince Maurits and Princess Marilène of Orange-Nassau, we now turn our attention to the hats worn at their religious wedding in Apeldoorn on May 30, 1998.

The young bride’s ivory silk duchesse gown was made by Belgian designer Pierre Yves. You will note in the photo below that the bodice of the dress was actually a Bolero-length jacket with wide collar, pleated cuffs and front buttons. The main dress, with a box pleated full skirt and pleated cummerbund at the waist, featured a halter-style sleeveless bodice that was covered in Brussels lace. It’s an interesting design for a royal bride but certainly one that lends itself to both the formality of a royal wedding and the ‘lets-get-this-party-started’ vibe a private reception.

Princess Marilène, May 30, 1989 | Royal Hats

Marilène topped her dress off with a full length silk veil edged in ivory silk ribbon. The veil was anchored by a reduced version of the “Ears of Wheat” tiara from the Dutch Royal collection. Unfortunately, the tiara was worn so far back on Marilène’s head that it is nearly invisible.

Embed from Getty Images

Princess Margriet wore a pink Breton-style hat trimmed with white and dark pink contrasting bands on the brim and around the crown. It is such a flattering hat shape on her and the colour, shades darker than her pale pink suit, created the perfect amount of contrast for her ensemble. Marilène’s mother, José van den Broek-van Schendel, wore an unusual but very pretty pale grey-blue hat with upturned, fluted brim.

Princess Margriet, May 30, 1989 | Royal Hats José van den Broek-van Schendel, May 30, 1989 | Royal Hats

Prince Maurits and Princess Marilène, May 30, 1989 | Royal Hats

Queen Beatrix wore a giant tangerine straw pillbox hat swathed in open-weave gold net. The unique hat however, coordinated very well with Beatrix’s Indian sari-inspired dress and created a rather bold and striking ensemble

Princess Juliana, in what was to be her final public appearance, wore a black dotted hairnet with black large black bow.

Queen Beatrix and Princess Juliana, May 30, 1989 | Royal Hats

Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria wore a taupey-pink straw picture hat with slightly upturned brim and pink flower and ribbon trim (below, top left). Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Parma wore a rusty straw hat with monochrome bloom on the side (below, center right).

Wedding of Prince Maurits and Princess Marilène, May 30, 1989 | Royal Hats

Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein wore a cream hat with squared crown and wide, upturned brim (top left, just above the bride). Princess Christina of the Netherlands wore a navy straw hat in a similar shape with a wide, upturned brim. This hat was trimmed with a lime green sash around the crown to match her suit – this colour combination was the most lovely of contrasts (front right, beside her sister Princess Margriet).

While the past sixteen years has brought many changes to millinery fashion, there are a number of hats at this wedding with classic shapes that have stood the test of time. Which one of these royal hats is your favourite?

Photos from Getty as indicated and: Mark Cuthbert,Mark Cuthbert, Mark Cuthbert, and Mark Cuthbert, via Getty; Reuters and Capital Photos via Refdag; Mark Cuthbert via Getty; and the Royal Forums

Royal Hats

The Bold, Beautiful and Bizarre World of Royal Millinery

Category Archives: Austria

Royal Hats Last Year: The Rest

Funeral of Queen Fabiola

Belgian Royal Wedding: The Guests

Belgian Royal Wedding: The Families

Dutch Royals Celebrate 16th Anniversary