The wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge four years ago was attended by representatives from several royal houses outside Europe. Several of these guests attended the wedding in national dress, giving us a glimpse of traditional royal headwear we do not often see here on the blog.
The Raja Isteri of Brunei (below, left with her husband, the Sultan) wore a headscarf in the same blue patterned silk as her baju kurung which was edged in ornate gold threaded lace. Queen Tuanku Nur Zahirah of Malaysia (below right) also wore a traditional baju kurung; her tunic and skirt was heavily appliquéd in pale blue lace. Her headscarf, in pale blue silk, was further edged in intricate silver embroidery.
The wife of King Mswati III of Swaziland (I think it is wife #10, Inkhosikati LaMahlangu) wore a tall vertical black hat. The straw brim was studded with polka dots and the hat was trimmed with large sprays of feathers on both sides of the brim. The hat suited her well and provided a little calm against her printed suit. My main qualm with her ensemble was the odd placement of her diamond brooch. King George Tupou V of Tonga (below left), on the other hand, looked so very handsome in his top hat. I adore a top hat with a morning suit and King George both very well.
Princess Mabereng of Lesotho wore a vibrant orange and tomato red Basotho blouse, skirt, sash and beautifully folded headscarf. She looked beautiful in this colour and I adore that her husband, Prince Seeiso (who co-founded the charity Sentibale with Prince Harry) matched his tie and pocket square to her ensemble.
The Saudi Arabian royal family was represented by Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal and Princess Ameerah. Princess Ameerah was one of the break-out fashion stars at this wedding in a breathtaking lace coat and dress by Zuhair Murad. Built on a light mushroom brim of pale pink crin, the crown of her coordinating has was formed from a mass of multi-looped crin bows studded with slim pink feathers (see a close-up view here). The fussy hat was kept looking light and effortless thanks to the gossamer crin and the ensemble put Ameerah on the international fashion map.
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Of Thailand and Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco were also in attendance but as their national dress does not include headwear, they did not wear hats. Did any of the hats or headpieces in this group strike your fancy?
Stay tuned first thing tomorrow morning when we draw our look back at the hats at this wedding with those worn by guests from the non-reigning European royals.
Royal Hats 
