Category Archives: Denmark

Hats From the Past: Christening of Princess Isabella

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Thirteen years ago today, Princess Isabella of Denmark was christened in an intimate service held in the chapel of Fredensborg Palace, the Danish royal family’s summer home.

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Crown Princess Mary topped a dusky pink Birgit Hallstein dress with the same cream silk flower bandeau headpiece by Malene Birger she had worn for Prince Christian’s baptism in 2006 (and she would later repeat for the christening of Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine in 2011).

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Larger than a bandeau, the headpiece’s scale gives it enough presence to stand on its own without obscuring a view of the baby and the floral motif gives is a delicacy and charm that feels very right for the occasion. The colour is so wonderful against Princess Mary’s hair and easily pairs with different ensembles, although this dress fell flat for me. In this ensemble, I think the headpiece was one of the most successful elements.

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Queen Margrethe wore her recognizable pink and green ensemble with patterned floral silk dress and wide brimmed vibrant green straw picture hat, trimmed with pink straw loops. Ever the romantic, Prince Henrik tied in his ensemble with a pink shirt.

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Princess Benedikte topped her pink coat with the loveliest ecru straw brimmed hat (how elegant are the lines on the brim’s  cartwheel shape) trimmed with a pink spray of silk flowers on the side. Her daughter, Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, wore a bandeau headpiece of deep purple flowers.  Carina Axelsson topped her pink dress with a pale almond straw brimmed hat with gently sidesweeping brim, trimmed with an ecru wide hatband and side ruffled bow. Queen Anne-Marie of Greece wore a wheat coloured straw hat with upturned, rimmed kettle brim and a textural, woven hatband.

Princess Isabella’s godmothers included Queen Mathilde and Prince Frederik’s first cousin, Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark. Mathilde topped her lace coat with a matching wide padded bandeau headpiece, covered in the same lace and trimmed with a multi-looped black silk side bow. Princess Alexia wore a cream bandeau headpiece with spray of goose biot feathers on the side.

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Royal guests included Crown Princess Victoria who wore a bandeau headpiece with textured fabric base, trimmed with applique flowers and a pair of feather quills. Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore her gold Prada headband with blush silk bow on one side.

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Princess Mary’s stepmother, Susan Donaldson, wore a deep eggplant silk floral fascinator with dotted tulle bow.

Looking back, this event is a noticeably more informal and intimate affair than Prince Christian’s baptism was, just 18 months earlier.  The palate is so light and summery, although today’s current popularity of bandeau style headpieces makes me surprised to see so many here, 13 years ago! Perhaps these royal ladies were just ahead of fashion?!

What do you think of these royal hat looks? Which ones stand out most to you?

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Photos from Getty as indicated; Polfoto

Danish Queen Marks 75th Anniversary of Liberation

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Queen Margrethe cast a compelling, solitary figure at the Ryvangen Memorial Park in Copenhagen today for a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of German occupation.

For today’s anniversary, the Danish Queen repeated her red bumper hat with side bow in the same navy and red painterly print as her dress. Commemorative events such as these can be tricky to dress for, especially in light of a global pandemic, and while some royals would have chosen sombre neutrals for this event, I love that Queen Margrethe chose something characteristically vibrant and cheery.

Designer: Likely Per Falk Hansen
Previously Worn: Sep 8, 2019; Sep 4, 2019; June 15, 2019; May 5, 2018; July 1, 2017; June 29, 2017; June 1, 2017; Oct 4, 2016; Sep 5, 2016; May 24, 2016

I understand that it is Danish tradition to light candles in the windows of one’s home to commemorate this anniversary and the Danish monarchy shared these poignant shots of candles lit in the windows of Fredensborg Castle, Amalienborg Castle and Chancery House, home of Crown Prince Frederick, Crown Princess Mary and their family. Such beacons of hope are so comforting these days. 

Hats at such events are not the focus but it is so lovely to finally see one, and a cheery red one at that!

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Hats From the Past: Christening of Danish Twins

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Nine years ago this week, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary brought their young twins, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, to Holmens Church in Copenhagen to be baptised.

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Crown Princess Mary repeated the cream silk flower bandeau headpiece by Malene Birger she had worn for Prince Christian’s christening in 2006 and Princess Isabella’s in 2007.

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The delicate headpiece is a great option for an event like this, beautifully framing Princess Mary’s face while allowing for a full view of the baby. It’s a flattering and wearable piece that works so well against her dark hair and adds a lovely amount of softness to the overall ensemble, tying in so well with these exquisite antique christening gowns.  The styling here is also impeccable with great colour contrast between the headpiece and Mary’s saturated blue dress (it works so much better than the competing patterns it was paired with on its first outing) and a few statement jewelry pieces that add that bit of regal ‘wow’ to the elegantly streamlined ensemble.

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Princess Isabella looked charming in a pink hairbow to match her silk dress, tied to the braid on the side of her head.

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Queen Margrethe wore a brimless design covered in the same vibrant blue weave as her coat. The hat is trimmed with a wide stripe of plaited velvet ribbon and braid that wraps over the hat and a pair of feather spines circled with in curled goose biot feathers.

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Princess Marie topped her pale greige wool coat with a straw beret-based percher hat in the same colour from British brand Whiteley. The hat is trimmed with a triple looped straw curl.

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Princess Benedkite topped her mint coat with a warm toast brown hat of sewn braid with Breton style upturned brim. The hat is trimmed in a wide mint petersham ribbon hatband that ties in a bow at the back, topped with a slim coppery brown ribbon. Queen Anne-Marie wore a navy straw classically-shaped pillbox hat trimmed with a small navy velvet bow at the front.

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Princess Tatiana of Greece topped her navy ensemble with a blue feather headpiece, formed in the shape of a lotus flower. The hat is surrounded by burnt feathers and a striped quill with gentle curl in the center completes it. Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (Princess Benedikte’s eldest son, who is one of Prince Vincent’s godparents) attended with his parnter, Carina Axelsson, who wore a pink floral headpiece tucked into her chignon.

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Prince Charles and Princess Camilla of Bourbon Two Sicilies attended the event (Prince Charles is one of Princess Josephine’s godparents). Camilla wore a characteristically flamboyant ensemble topped with a watermelon pink straw pyramid hat bound in a wide stripe of burgundy velvet and topped with a mass of deep pink feathers.

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Princess Mary’s stepmother Susan Donaldson wore a sculpted wire flower headpiece and her sister Patricia wore a calot headpiece of embellished grey feathers.

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How do these milliner designs hold up, nearly a decade later? What looks here stand out most to you?

Photos from Getty as indicated

Queen Margrethe’s 80th Birthday

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Queen Margrethe celebrates her 80th birthday today, unfortunately, with far less fanfare than was originally planned. The Danish court has released some wonderful photos this week to celebrate, including:

New portraits with Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Christian

New photos of the birthday girl, taken at home

Gallery of photos taken throughout her life (with some fantastic hats!)

A look at some of the Queen’s passions (scroll to the second clip which shows describing, in English, the hat for one of her costume designs, which she models wonderfully!)

Gallery of past milestone birthday portraits

A look at the commemorative coin, minted to celebrate this occasion

To celebrate Queen Margrethe’s birthday today, let’s raise a glass and share our favourite of her hats (or tiaras, if you wish!). For me, it’s the coral straw double-brimmed picture hat with red dotted paler pink upper brim she wore to Royal Ascot in 2002- such great colour with a little bit of bonkers from the pink and orange curling trim. Which of her hats stand out most in your memory?

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Photos from Getty as indicated 

Danish Queen Opens Hospital Wing

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Queen Margrethe officially opened the new North Wing at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen yesterday. For this event, she wore a new ensemble and hat in denim blue. Covered in the same finely woven wool as her jacket, the hat features a low-profile rounded crown and moderate sidesweeping brim. The hatband and side bow are in the same checked tweed as this ensemble’s skirt.

It’s a great shape, proportion and colour on Margrethe, and I particularly like how the hat is designed to be worn at a jaunty angle. It is beautifully executed (no stitch or pucker to be found) and while I usually prefer hats in different materials to the clothing they are paired with, this look feels more coordinated and less overly matched, I think, thanks to the two fairly muted fabrics.  Jump over to this gallery for some better photos and views of this design.

Designer: Mathilde Thoe Førster
Previously Worn: this hat is new

Mathilde Thoe Førster started making hats for Queen Margrethe last year and has produced some beautiful pieces. Most milliners don’t provide behind-the-scenes peeks at royal hats, and I greatly appreciate that she does! What do you think of this addition to Queen Margrethe’s millinery wardrobe?

Photos from Getty as indicated