Category Archives: Belgium

Belgium National Day 2022

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My sincere apologies, dearest readers, for the unforseen hiatus this month. All is well again and we are going to begin catching up in Belgium! Last Thursday, the Belgian royal family attended the annual Te Deum mass and military parade celebrating their national holiday.

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Queen Mathilde wore a new wide brimmed woven straw hat trimmed with a rope of burnt feathers.

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The burnt feather trim is a miss for me- it’s thickness and placement snakes around the hat in a way I just don’t find attractive. I also wish the hat’s undertone was truly gold or brown (without that slight coral/pinky tinge) to better coordinate with Mathilde’s dress. It’s all right… but not great.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne “Paris” hat. Natan dress. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Princess Elisabeth wore a red halo bandeau headpiece wrapped in crisp twisted ribbon.

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These halos are the height of fashion these days and thus, an obvious choice for a young princess. The shape suits Elisabeth very well and the twisted detail gives lovely texture to the design that gives just enough contrast to stand on its own against her dress. Lovely!

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Designer: Emily London “Galilea” Headband in Red. Victoria Beckham dress. 
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

Princess Astrid attended the event in uniform, as she does each year, with upfolded brim cap.

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Princess Claire paired her floral dress with a burgundy silk abaca pleated bandeau headpiece.

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The colour is lovely on Claire, as is the scale.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

Princess Delphine topped her red and white dress with a crisp white straw hat with slightly flared crown and curved brim trimmed with a red hatband and bow.

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The hat is a great counterpoint for Delphine’s dress, the classic shape a great contrast with the dress’ modern graphic embroidery. We don’t talk here enough about brim lengths- this one suits her so well.

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Designer: Josje Huisman. Dress by ​Pol Volgels with embroidery by Antwerp Borduur Service. Styled by Jody Van Geert
Previously Worn: This hat is new

What do you think of this parade of hats last week in Brussels?

Images from Getty as indicated  

Future Belgian Queen Christens Vessel

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Princess Elisabeth of Belgium conducted her first solo engagement on Saturday, officially christening the oceanographic research vessel Belgica in Ghent.

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For this occasion, she wore a new disc percher hat in pale pink . The hat follows a gentle curve and is trimmed with a draped bow on both sides of the raised edge.

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The colour and scale are lovely on Elisabeth and the pairing of curvy hat with the sharp lines of her white tuxedo dress feels young and fresh. My issues are with the hat itself- the material appears to be a synthetic/polyester braid of some sort and I think something finer would help to elevate its impact, presence and polish and liven up the clunky bow.

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Designer: “Pretty” design by Fabienne Delvigne. Dress by Reiss. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new

I understand that Fabienne Delvigne Couture Millinery has an Appointment to The Court of Belgium (2001) but I really hope Princess Elisabeth is encouraged to engage the work of other Belgian milliners in her wardrobe.

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Belgian and Norwegian Queens in New Hats

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King Philippe and Queen Mathilde wrapped up a week long official visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo today, a week which saw the Belgian queen in two millinery designs. For their arrival at the N’djili International Airport in Kinshasa on June 7, Queen Mathilde repeated her pale woven pink calot with multi-loop side bow.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Dress by Giambattista Valli
Previously Worn: Jul 10, 2019; May 19, 2016

On June 8, she wore a new red straw circular headpiece with draped ruffle bow on the side.

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I know bandeau designs are not widely embraced by Royal Hats readers and I’m curious- how does this shape rate in comparison? I’ve warmed to ring-shaped headpieces over the years and see them as a good option for royal visits to tropical climates. The ruffled trim on this design isn’t particularly attractive on its own yet gives great movement and presence to the look of the overall piece.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne “Rueda” design. Dress by Natan.
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

On Saturday, Queen Silvia attended the  opening of the National Museum in Oslo in a new hat, a cloche variation in vibrant blue with beautifully bound brim edge.

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Queen Silvia has favoured the cloche shape and the jaunty angle of this one, which sits the hat back almost like a halo brimmed design, is a good variation. The star here is the colour and the slight sheen from the brim binding, that adds just the right punctuation to the monochrome look.

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What do you think of this trio of hats?

Images from Getty as indicated  

Belgian Queen Awards Music Prize

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Queen Mathilde presided over the award ceremony for the laureates of the Queen Elisabeth Competition for Cello 2022, at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo yesterday. For this event, she repeated her royal blue ruched straw brimless toque hat.

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It’s such a great working royal hat, its vibrant colour standing out just enough and its draped design giving interest and movement, all with a small scale that doesn’t feel awkward at an event where no one else is wearing a hat! It’s pairing here with Mathilde’s blue and white Ikat printed dress works so well.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Dress by Natan. 
Previously Worn: Apr 30, 2022; June 28, 2018; July 3, 2016;  May 20, 2015

Classic, crisp blue and white is among my favourite colour combinations so this look is right up my alley. What do you think of Queen Mathilde’s ensemble yesterday?  See all the other ensembles she has worn with this hat over at this post. 

Images from Getty as indicated  

Service of Thanksgiving for the Duke of Edinburgh: Royal Guests

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The Service of Thanksgiving celebrating the life of the Duke of Edinburgh held yesterday at Westminster Abbey was attended by numerous cousins and colleagues from various European royal houses.

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Queen Máxima repeated a rounded black felt beret with knotted applique trim worn on the back of her head in the style of a pillbox.

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Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: Jan 27, 2020

Princess Beatrix joined those in Edinburgh green. The gently domed crown on her brimmed hat was wrapped in three layers of sinamay that were tucked over the other on the side to form a beautiful layered hatband.

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Designer: likely Suzanne Molijn
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

Queen Margrethe repeated a chic grey felt trilby trimmed with a black, white and grey feather pompom on the side.

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Designer: likely Per Falk Hansen
Previously Worn: Sep 29, 2019; Oct 28, 2014;  May 15, 2014; Oct 1, 2013; May 1, 2013;  Oct 7, 2008

Queen Mathilde wore a black draped halo bandeau headpiece with dotted birdcage veil.

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Designer: Elisa headband by Fabienne Delvigne. Coat by Meer Couture.
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new.

Queen Letizia topped a stunning coat dress with a green velvet covered teardrop percher hat raised at the back. The design is trimmed with a bow in the same crepe as the dress and a black tulle veil.

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Designer: Balel by Isabel Terroso
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Queen Silvia repeated a black straw hat with upfolded brim and rounded crown simply trimmed with a hatband and flat, looped bow twist.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: July 12, 2017; April 17, 2017; April 1, 2017; March 16, 2013; 

Princess Christina of Sweden wore a black cloche with rounded crown and curved, extended brim trimmed with a wide velvet hatband anchored with a large buckle.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: May 11, 2017 and others

Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, wore a peaked grey bandeau headpiece trimmed with a black leaf on the side.

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Designer: Kristina Dragomir
Previously Worn: Oct 19, 2019

Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia wore a black felt Garbo style hat.

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Queen Anne-Marie of Greece repeated a navy sinamay pillbox with slim bow at the base.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: June 25, 2016; May 19, 2012; April 14, 2011; April 16, 2010; 

Crown Princess Marie-Chantal wore a black looped bow fascinator with crystal studded veil.

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Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

Princess Nina of Greece wore a navy blue felt rounded pillbox

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We have not seen such a well attended royal event in over two years, something that attests to the respect and affection held for the late Duke. How lovely has it been to see so many royal hats?!

Images from Getty and social media as indicated