Category Archives: Sweden

Monaco Royal Wedding: Scandinavian Royals

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It’s not often that a monarch marries so it was no surprise that the religious ceremony of Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock on July 2, 2011 included lots of royal guests.

We start our tour of royal hats worn to this wedding with the last bride to marry a reigning monarch- Queen Silvia, who wore a wide brimmed parasisal straw picture hat in lilac pink. The design featured a crossover shape on the front of the crown, a gently sideswept brim and was simply trimmed with a double looped straw bow on the side. With her silk jacquard cloqué dress in the same colour, the hat topped a very coordinated look.

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Designer: unknown

Crown Princess Victoria’s aqua calot hat was clearly designed to match her silk chiffon embellished dress with the same curved iridescent paillettes on the dress’ sleeves completely covering the hat. It’s a very textural look in a colour that’s great for Victoria but that was let down by her limply styled hair. Victoria was in her first trimester of pregnancy with Princess Estelle at the time of this wedding, making me wonder if she was feeling her best or if the heat of the day simply got the best of her. It’s a fussier look than we usually see on Victoria, which makes me like it for her, and I wish we could see it worn again with a more successful hairstyle.

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Designer: unknown. Dress by Escada.

Princess Madeleine paired her almond silk dress with a large silk rose headpiece in a similar hue, with tall curving pheasant feather. As far as fascinators go, this one makes a statement… although the curve and height of that feather always felt a bit random to me.

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Designer: unknown. Dress by Dolce & Gabbana

Princess Mette-Marit also chose a monochrome look in a pale, neutral pink with a crescent headpiece of layered hand cut lace that circled around the back of her head. The multiple layers of lace created a wonderfully dimensional piece that contrasted against the smooth lines and asymmetrical neckline of her dress and beautifully framed her face. I usually am a stickler for impeccable finishes on royal millinery but the the slightly raw lace on this design gave it an edgy, rough beauty.

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Designer: unknown. Dress by Valentino.

Princess Mary wore one of my favourite looks at this wedding with a finely woven, wheat-hued straw saucer hat studded with tiny diamanté, trimmed with large ecru silk roses and flying coque feathers. While a neutral colour, the hat was anything but boring thanks to its dramatic shape and bold trim, elements that enabled it to stand up as the perfect counterpoint for Mary’s Mediterranean blue silk dress. With neutral shoes and a fun, patterned turquoise purse, this ensemble was perfectly styled and firmly got my vote for best dressed guest at this wedding. Nine years on, it’s still one of my favourites.

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Designer: Jane Taylor. Dress by Prada. 

Princess Marie went with a more monochrome approach, topping her pale peach silk wrap dress with a brimmed hat in the same shade. The hat’s brim was gently turned up around the front the hat was completed a spray of straw leaves in darker and lighter shades sweeping over the side.

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Designer: unknown. Dress by Rikke Gudnitz.

There’s no shortage of interesting milliner here- we’ve got colour, sparkle and drama! I’ve already tipped my hand as to my favourite, dearest readers but I’m curious- which looks here stand out most to you?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

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

Swedish Monarchs Visit India

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King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia kicked off a visit to India yesterday.

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For the first day of this visit, Queen Silvia wore a new, leaf-shaped royal blue headpiece trimmed with lovely handmade flowers with beaded stamen centers.

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The colour is ace on Silvia and the headpiece’s smooth surface contrasts nicely with her lace dress. The flowers are also a fantastic touch. I’m less certain about the shape and placement- it works well with Queen Silvia’s hairstyle from front view but less so from the side. It’s nice to see her experiment with the more traditional calot shape she often wears but I’m just not sure this shape is a great one.

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Designer: Kerstin Carlefalk
Previously Worn: This hat is new

What do you think of Queen Silvia’s new royal blue headpiece?

Photos from Getty and social media as indicated 

Imperial Enthronement: Foreign Royal Guests

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Tuesday’s enthronement ceremony was attended by a number of royal events adorned in either national costume or traditional century court dress, giving the wonderfully formal gown-and-hat combination we don’t often see.

Queen Máxima donned a familiar slate blue gown in transparent silk brocade printed with large roses  but paired it with a different hat than we’ve seen with it before- her grey silk floral and dotted net tulle statement headpiece. The scale and bold design of the headpiece pairs wonderfully with the gown, elevating the sense of drama and gravitas of the overall ensemble.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Gown by Natan.
Previously Worn: Nov 4, 2014; November 19, 2005

Queen Mathilde was wonderfully elegant in a an exquisite gown, cape and pillbox trio in pale pink silk crepe. The clean, sleek lines of each piece make them balance perfectly together and create a serene and quietly regal look. It’s a fashion philosophy we often see used with the Imperial royal ladies- perhaps the inspiration or influence for this ensemble?

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Designer: unknown. Gown by Armani Prive. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new. It is not the same as the felt calot worn February 6, 2014 as some blogs are reporting. 

Queen Letizia paired her bright, floral gown with a divided bandeau headpiece in pale, dusky pink silk. The scale is great on her and the solid colour is a great choice against her patterned dress, although I thought the bandeau’s construction, with many visible stitches, wasn’t quite up to snuff.

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Designer: Nana Golmar. It is a bespoke silk version of the velvet “Iria Headband“. Gown by Matilde Cano.
Previously Worn: this headpiece is new

Crown Princess Mary’s muted lilac-grey caped dress was brightened with mulberry purple straw hat. The modified saucer  is worn at a steep incline and trimmed with two huge silk flowers on the underside of the raised brim, the one at the front in mixed shades of purple. Supremely elegant on its own, I think this gown is again, elevated with the statement hat – not to mention those rubies!

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Designer: Jane Taylor. Gown by Valentino
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Crown Princess Victoria wore a straw saucer hat in the same deep inky purple shade as her gown. The piece, also designed to sit at a sharply tilted angle on the head, is lavishly trimmed with silk roses and straw twists beneath the raised brim, a touch that gives such textural contrast to the opposite, very smooth upper side of the saucer.

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Designer: Philip Treacy. Gown by Escada.
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Seated next to Crown Princess Victoria was a face new to Royal Hats, Swazi King Mswati III’s newest wife, Inkhosikati LaMashwama. She topped her white suit with a vibrant blue straw hat with disc base trimmed with rolled straw rosettes and large bow loops, blue tulle, purple cut feathers and pearls, scattered over the base.

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I know some readers have been waiting days to discuss the hats in this post (my apologies for the delay) so I turn it over to you- what millinery looks here were your favourites?

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Photos from Getty as indicated 

Swedish Royals Attend Opening Of Parliament

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The Swedish Royal Family arrived at the Swedish Parliament House in Stockholm this morning to take part in the opening of the new parliamentary session

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The family, led by the king and queen, dressed in the black and white dress code traditionally associated with this event (well, most of them did but we’ll get to that, shortly!). Queen Silvia repeated her white straw calot hat with back bow and net tulle veil. The beehive shaped hat is wrapped in stripes of straw, giving the design texture and dimension in addition to a distinctive shape. It’s not my favourite hat in Silvia’s wardrobe but integrates very well with her hairstyle.

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Designer: Mode Rosa
Previously Worn: Sep 4, 2017; Apr 24, 2016; Jun 6, 2014; Sep 8, 2013; May 10, 2013; Apr 16, 2013

Crown Princess Victoria wore an interesting headpiece put together from two previously worn separate designs. The white triple ringed bandeau previously had a large white bloom that was removed today and in its place, Victoria’s headpiece of black and white layered butterfly bows.  I’m all for mixing millinery pieces whenever possible but there’s something incongruous about this combination, which, I’m afraid, looks like a bit of a mash-up. I wish the ringed bandeau had been repeated in its original, flower trimmed form.

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Designer of the ringed headpiece: unknown (Philip Treacy made its pink twin)
Previously Worn: April 16, 2015
Designer of the Butterfly bow headpiece: Malinda Damgaard 
Previously Worn: September 13, 2016; October 19, 2015; September 15, 2015

Princess Sofia veered away from the black and white dress code with a two-piece headpiece – face framing bandeau and a separate bow worn at the base of her neck- in luxe wine velvet.  As far as bandeaus go, it’s a good one and frames Sofia’s face beautifully. The colour, however, has me scratching my own head here- yes, it’s a beautiful, painterly fall colour that looks fantastic in velvet but… I can’t believe I’m stating the obvious here… it’s not black or white. Is this the start of coloured accessories for this event? I hope so!

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Designer: Headpieces by M (Matthias Lavesson)
Previously Worn: this headpiece is new

This is one of very few annual hatted events in Sweden and leaves me curious, dearest readers- what do you think of this trio of off-the-face millinery designs?

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Photos from Getty as indicated