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?
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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
to this day in 2002 when, during a tour of Northern Ireland, Queen Elizabeth wore Marie O’Reagan design with looping brim binding-hatband-giant bow. Royal hats don’t often build their focus trim off a brim’s binding, making this design a unique and interesting one, indeed.
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Photos from Getty as indicated
to this day in 1973, 46 years ago, and an Imperial visit to Australia that saw the then Crown Princess Michiko in a halo hat with graphic pattern on the brim.
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Photo from Getty as indicated
Last year, we looked back at the hats Queen Elizabeth has worn this century on Easter Sunday. Sunday service, however, isn’t Her Majesty’s only outing during Easter weekend. At the conclusion of Maundy Thursday service, she (or a royal representative) hands out symbolic alms to elderly recipients – a tradition that goes back to 1210 when John, King of England, gave food and clothing to the poor in Knaresborough, Yorkshire. We will undoubtedly see Her Majesty this week at the Maundy Thursday service and in preparation for that, I thought we’d take a look back at the hats she has worn to this event in years past:
1935; first public engagement as sovereign in 1952, 1953 and 1955 (in 1954 she was away on the Commonwealth Tour)
1956, 1957, 1958, and 1959 (in 1960 she did not attend due to Prince Andrew’s birth)
1961, 1962, 1963 and 1965 (Prince Edward’s birth prevented her attendance in 1964)
1966, 1967 and the same orange ruffled turban in 1968 and 1969
The hat shape evolution here is interesting- the 1950s calots grow in volume to the 1960s turbans, with that brimmed halo hat in 1966 (in vibrant blue) for some contrast. I didn’t know that Her Majesty’s first public engagement as queen was to attend the 1952 Maundy Service until researching this post and the beautifully veiled capulet she wore that year shows how young she was.
We’ll continue our look at the Queen’s Maundy Thursday hats through this week- stay tuned!
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Royal Hats 