The royal calendar was a busy one last month with several high profile events – Cheltenham Festival, state visits and Commonwealth Observance Service – that inevitably included some new royal hats. Ten of the new designs we saw last month received particularly positive feedback. It is now time to take a closer look at the beret, saucer, fedora, upsweep, cocktail perchers and wide brimmed designs that make up this colourful group and choose a top pick. The winner of this poll will again move forward as a semi-finalist in our year end contest for Readers’ Favourite New Royal Hat of 2018.

1.     2.

Queen Elizabeth’s burgundy silk crepe hat with cherry blossoms and feathers by Angela Kelly worn Mar 12
Meghan Markle’s sleek Stephen Jones designed ivory felt beret worn on Commonwealth Day, Mar 12

3.      4.

Zara Tindall in a grey Goldust Millinery fedora with navy and turquoise hatband worn on Mar 13
Zara Tindall’s red felt saucer with silk rose trim by Juliette Botterill worn to Cheltenham on Mar 14 

5.    6.

Queen Máxima’s grey hat with tall crown by Fabienne Delvigne worn in The Hague on Mar 15
Zara Tindall’s peacock blue felt percher with leather camellia by Sally Ann Provan worn Mar 15

7.   8.

Princess Anne’s purple felt fedora with feathers and looped bow worn to Cheltenham on Mar 16
Autumn Phillips’ black bumper base cocktail hat with pheasant feathers worn on Mar 16

9.  10.

Queen Mathilde’s emerald felt Fabienne Delvigne design with flat crown worn in Canada on Mar 16
Queen Elizabeth’s pink felt Rachel Trevor Morgan design with silk flowers worn Mar 27 in Plymouth

This poll will remain open until next Sunday, April 15 at midnight GMT. As in the past, each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. Happy voting!

 

Photos from WPA Pool, Max Mumby/Indigo, Max Mumby/Indigo, Max Mumby/Indigo, Patrick van Katwijk, Max Mumby/Indigo, Steven Paston/PA Images, Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty; Benoit Doppagne / Frederic Sierakowski via Belga Photo Pool;  WPA Pool via Getty

Between state visits, the Cheltenham Festival and several other higher profile events, the month of March brought us numerous royal hats. Based on your comments, thirteen repeated designs stood out as particularly successful and it is now time to take a look at this mix of brimmed and brimless designs to choose  your favourite. As with other monthly posts, the winner of this poll will be put forward as a semi-finalist in our year-end contest for for Readers’ Repeated New Royal Hat of 2018.

1.    2.

Queen Elizabeth’s purple square crowned hat with kettle brim and floral trim by Angela Kelly worn March 6
Queen Máxima’s burgundy velvet calot with tulle net overlay by Fabienne Delvigne worn March 7

3.   4. 

Queen Mathilde’s red felt wide brimmed hat with asymmetrical peaked crown worn in Canada Mar 12
Duchess of Cornwall’s cream straw hat with navy crown wrap and upfolded bim by Philip Treacy worn Mar 12

5.   6.

Duchess of Cambridge’s navy fur felt hat with mushroom brim and wide hatband by Lock & Co. worn Mar 12
Countess of Wessex’s navy straw hat with cream and gold swirling feathers by Jane Taylor worn Mar 12

7.   8.

Duchess of Gloucester’s pale blue felt and straw hat with pleated hatband and side feather spray worn Mar 12
Princess Anne’s cream brimmed picture hat with navy feathers, bows and quills worn Mar 12 

9.  10.  11.  

Queen Mathilde’s stacked felt maple leaf casque hat by Fabienne Delvigne worn Mar 13
Princess Anne’s grey square cloche with black hatband and feather covered brim worn Mar 13
Duchess of Cambridge’s green felt beret percher with flying bow by Gina Foster worn Mar 17

12.  13.

Queen Elizabeth’s orange felt Angela Kelly hat with silk magnolias & brown straw leaves worn Mar 20
Queen Máxima’s natural straw upswept brim hat by Fabienne Delvigne worn Mar 20 for the Jordanian state visit

This poll will remain open until next Sunday, April 15 at midnight GMT. As in the past, each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. Happy voting!

Photos from WPA Pool, Patrick van Katwijk; Max Mumby/Indigo, Max Mumby/Indigo, Max Mumby/Indigo, and Photonews via Getty; Benoit Doppange/Frederic Sierakowski/Pool via Belga; Max Mumby/Indigo, Pool/Max Mumby, Mark Cuthbert and Patrick van Katwijk via Getty

For our second poll of 2018, we turn our attention to most successful new hats we saw worn in January and February. Ten designs were met with particular admiration, all in dark, wintry hues.  It is now time to take a closer look at this group of cloche, bumper, wide brimmed, fedora, split crown and brimless designs and choose a top pick. The winner of this poll will be put forward as the first semi-finalist for Readers’ Favourite New Royal Hat of 2018.

1.     2. 

Princess Hisako’s black felt hat with upswept vented brim worn Jan 1 for a football match
Duchess of Cambridge’s brown Lacorine alpaca hat with wide cuffed brim worn Jan 7, 2018 (shown on Jan 30)

2.

3.      4. 

Princess Philomena d’Orleans in a black picture hat with organza overlay and flower worn Jan 8
Queen Elizabeth’s dark green squared cloche with knot and quill trim by Rachel Trevor Morgan worn Jan 21 

 5.    6.

Princess Beatrix’s black straw hat with upswept brim and silver hatband worn Jan 23 in Utrecht
Princess Kiko in a black felt cloche with diagonal crown wrap and side bow on January 24 in Tokyo

7.     8.  

Princess Margriet’s navy felt fedora with raised brim on one side worn Feb 1 Ouwekerk
Princess Nobuko in an asymmetrical black hat with back bow for a Feb 2 flower exhibition

9.    10.

Queen Elizabeth’s purple felt split crown hat with upturned brim, side bow & pompom by Angela Kelly worn Feb 2
Crown Princess Victoria’s tall black faux fur bumper hat worn in Lithuania on Feb 16

The poll will remain open until next Friday, March 16 at midnight GMT and as usual, each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. Happy voting!

Photos from Etsuo Hara and Samir Hussein via Getty; Alain Guizard/Best Image; Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty; Albert Nieboer via PPE Agency; The Asahi Shimbun via Getty; Robin Utrecht via AFP; Sankei; Press Association via The British Monarchy;    

Royal hat wearing usually gets off to a slow start each year and 2018 has been no exception. As such, our first set of polls this year will look at hats worn in January and February. Do not fear – despite the slow start, there were still seven repeated royal hats which, based on your comments, stood out as particularly successful.  In felt, fur, boucle tweed, crin and straw, these seven beauties cover a spectrum of colour, shape, scale, trimming and material. Over the next week, we will take a second look at these seven hats and choose a winner to move forward in our ultimate contest for favourite repeated royal hat of 2018.

1.    2.

Queen Elizabeth’s purple hat with cerise piping and pompom trim by Angela Kelly worn Jan 14 for church 
Duchess of Cambridge’s black alpaca hat with wide cuffed brim from Peruvian Connection worn Jan 30

3.      4.

Countess of Wessex’s white crin hat trimmed with crin curls and feathers by Jane Taylor worn Feb 3 in Sri Lanka
Queen Elizabeth’s textured red split crown hat with red Lady Amhurst feathers by Angela Kelly worn Feb 4
 

5.  6.

Queen  Máxima’s purple felt upswept brim picture hat with waved brim by Fabienne Delvigne worn Feb 5
Crown Princess Mary’s black felt Susanne Juul beret with feather spray and veil worn Feb 20

7.

Queen Elizabeth’s upswept ice blue straw hat with flowers & silk bow by Rachel Trevor Morgan worn Feb 20

This poll will remain open until next Friday, March 16 at midnight GMT. As in the past, each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. Happy voting!

Photos from Joe Giddens/PA Images, Chris Jackson, NurPhoto and Mark Cuthbert via Getty; Patrick van Katwijk/DPA via Belga; Ole Jensen and Chris Jackson via Getty