At the beginning of June, the Royal Collection Trust shared this wonderful photograph of Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia, wearing a hat (I suppose one that was considered casual and sporting at the time), riding a penny farthing. Fascinating!
Photo from Getty as indicated
Today’s posts will be up late in the day (to avoid our Australian guest milliner having to get up in the middle of the night to talk with us!) so to keep you entertained, here’s a fantastic flashback of Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Ascot hats, shared yesterday by the British Monarchy.
Gallery from The British Monarchy
 With this year’s Order of the Garter procession just a week away, here is a look back to Garter Days in 1913 and 1948. The British royals take tradition seriously- no surprise that in 116 years, the ceremonial hats have not changed!
Photo from The Royal Collection Trust and British Monarchy
Next Saturday, all eyes will be on the Buckingham Palace balcony to see the hats and faces that gather for Trooping the Colour this year. The balcony has hosted all kinds of interesting hats for Trooping the colour over the years and I can’t remember two that delighted me more than the pair of pillboxes in this photo, generously sent to me yesterday by reader Jake. It’s June 14, 1969 and shows a wonderful bias striped design on Princess Alexandra (in the same fabric as her jacket) while a youthful Princess Anne is in one covered in giant daisies. How brilliantly of the times are they both?!
Thanks for sharing this, Jake!
Photo from Getty as indicated
Well known British company Lock and Co. Hatters recently shared this wonderful photo of a groom arriving at his wedding in 1908, 1111 years ago, wearing a one of their gleaming silk top hats. While he’s not ‘officially’ royal, I think his pedigree (grandson of a duke, son of a lord) and status is close enough to warrant featuring here.
Photo from social media as indicated
to this day in 1987 when a white bumper hat trimmed with a dotted veil and large red silk poppy was worn in Berlin during a state visit to Germany. Designed by Ian Thomas, this hat is one of the rare ones that looks better off the head, I think, all due to the position of that poppy. Much better on the side than smack in the middle of the back, don’t you think?
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Photos from Getty as indicated
 to this day, 200 years ago, when a princess was born at Kensington Palace who would, ultimate, change the course of the British Monarchy. Remembered more for the immense industrial, scientific, cultural and political change that came during the era of her reign than for her fashion, we celebrate the bicentennial of Queen Victoria’s birth today with a look at a handful of her hats.
Photos from Getty as indicated
