On Saturday, King Carl Gustaf brought out his prized 1946 Volvo PV-60 to take part in the twelfth annual ‘King’s Rally’ on the island of Öland.

Queen Silvia joined in the automotive fun in a colourful, summery hat. Made of loosely woven straw printed with a pink, purple, lime and turquoise argyle diamond pattern, the hat features a flat crown and curved brim finished with a magenta hatband and bow at the back. We don’t often see such vibrantly printed royal hats and the simple shape of this one allows the diamond print to take centre stage. It’s not a serious or formal hat and as such, was perfect both with Silvia’s bright dress and for this informal event. She and the King, who sported a classic cream Panama hat, made a very handsome, hatted royal pair.

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Vid Sollidens slott hälsar Kungaparet på deltagarna i Svenska Kungsrallyt. Årets upplaga är det tolfte i ordningen och genomförs på mellersta och södra Öland. At Solliden palace the King and Queen greets the participants in the Swedish Kings Race. This year's race is the twelfth one and the race takes place in the south and middle part of Öland. #kungaparet #sollidensslott #öland #kungsrallyt2016 #svenskakungsrallyt

A post shared by Kungahuset 🇸🇪 (@kungahuset) on Aug 27, 2016 at 5:47am PDT

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I suspect this hat is new

Most of the working royal hats we see err on the more serious side of things and it’s lovely to see such a whimsical and informal design such as this. I think it is as wonderful as her iPhone cover (adorable!) but I’m curious- what do you think of Queen Silvia’s diamond printed hat?

Photos from The Swedish Monarchy; IBL and StellaPhoto

King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden opened the World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany yesterday.

Queen Silvia used this occasion to debut a new red (or is it a dark coral pink?) straw calot hat trimmed with three intertwined straw twists. Silvia wears calots and vibrant colours so well and those two elements make this a lovely hat for her. While not my favourite embellishment, the twists give some movement and visual interest the small design. Calots can easily be boring but this one certainly is not.

Where this look fell flat, however, was in its placement on Silvia’s head. You’ll notice below that the metal loops (a sort of frame used both to help affix the hat to the wearer’s head and attach any necessary hairpins) are completely visible over her hair. I can only imagine that in the rainstorm that thundered at the beginning of this event, Queen Silvia had to readjust her hat on her head without a mirror and the result, as you can see here, was quite messy.

Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Placement and rainstorms aside, it’s nice to see the Swedish queen add a new design to her millinery lineup.  The last time she wore this suit, Silvia topped it with a calot hat in the same fabric. I think this straw design is a better pairing but then I’m averse to overly matched ensembles. What do you think of this new hat?

Photos from IBL

The Swedish King and Queen attended an annual Association of Friends of the Artists event yesterday at Waldemarsudde, home of the late Prince Eugene. Prince Eugene,  an accomplished landscape painter in his own right, created a Swedish Artists’ Support Fund Foundation in 1937 and Monday’s festivities were in support of this fund. Queen Silvia wore a new hat in cherry red felt with a rounded crown and flat brim. Trimmed with a large white silk rose, a slim black hat band and a swath of black net tulle around the brim, the hat follows a very classic design. While it has a 1980s feel to it, this piece is a good scale and colour for Silvia and I think she wears it well.

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

What do you think of Queen Silvia’s new red hat?

Photo from  Pelle Nilsson T / Stella Pictures via The Swedish Royal Court and Dana Press