Holyrood Week: Day 2

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On the second day of Holyrood Week yesterday, Queen Elizabeth opened the new Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum at Stirling Castle.

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For this event, she repeated her mulberry straw hat with stepped crown and gently sideswept brim, trimmed with a side posy of handmade silk flowers and mulberry a straw multi-looped bow.

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The stepped crown shape comes off the same block as Monday’s new blue hat, this one a touch crisper in straw than the blue hat’s crown which is covered in fabric. The sidesweeping brim also works better in this iteration, giving a sense of lightness and lift to the piece while balancing with the silk flowers and bows on the opposite side. And the colour- well, it’s just sublime on Her Majesty.

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Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan. Coat and dress by Stewart Parvin
Previously Worn: Jun 8, 2018; April 1, 2018;  July 12, 2017; June 24, 2017

We’ve seen this hat a few times- have your thoughts on it changed with this outing?

Images from Getty as indicated  

Milestone Birthday: Duchess of Gloucester

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The Duchess of Gloucester celebrated her 75th birthday on June 20. In belated celebration of this milestone, here is a look back at some of her hats and headpieces (click on individual photos to jump to their original source with dates and event explanations):

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It’s a mix of shapes (with leanings toward boaters, Bretons and berets!), colours and scale, with a few showstoppers thrown in for good measure. If pressed to pick a favourite, it might be the cream and navy hat with waved brim and feathers (first photo in the second to last gallery) worn to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in 2011. We also can’t forget the braided blue straw headband from 1984 that was trotted out again in 2019 – that one’s a sentimental favourite for me, too.

What do you notice about Birgitte’s hats?

Photos from Getty as indicated

Queen Kicks Off Holyrood Week

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Queen Elizabeth kicked off her annual week in Scotland today with visits to AG Barr’s factory in Cumbernauld and the Ceremony of the Keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. Accompanied by her grandson the Earl of Strathearn (as is William’s title in Scotland), she debuted a lovely, new, blue hat.

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The design features a slightly sloped, stepped crown covered in the same cornflower blue fabric as Her Majesty’s coat. That same fabric is used on a wide, folded hatband, side bows and binding on the hat’s upturned kettle brim and the piece is finished with blue and white silk fuchsia blooms on the right side.

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The colour and scale are lovely, the stepped crown, hatband and brim binding creating a series of horizontal stripes that break up the monochrome design. A peek at the ensemble’s blue and white patterned silk dress links with the unique floral trim (how many other royal hats can you think of that are trimmed with fuchsia flowers?!) and the upturned brim gives the hat a lightness and lift that balances well with the collarless coat.

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Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan. Stewart Parvin coat and dress.
Previously Worn: this hat is new

I’m clearly a fan of this new hat- what do you think of it?

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Images from Getty as indicated  

This Week’s Extras

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Princess Gabriella in a sweet floral headpiece on Wednesday for the Fete de la Saint Jean
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Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence took part in Armed Forces Day commemoration yesterday at the National Memorial Arboretum

Princess Flaminia of Hohenzollern and Baron Károly von Stipsicz de Ternova were married yesterday at Schloss Sigmaringen

 

The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Dramatic Dior brimmed hat covered in scarlet feathers by Australian milliner Carole Maher
Parasisal ruffled trimmed bandeau in punchy lemon and orange by UK milliner Karen Geraghty
Eucalyptus green rabbit felt fedora with silk brim binding and hatband by Australian milliner Catherine Kelly
Knotted halo bandeau in vibrant purple, red and coral silk abaca stripe by British milliner Margaret Woodliff-Wright
Pink straw saucer with silk brim binding, bow, flowers and gold quill by Dutch milliner Wies Mauduit
Wonderfully whimsical top hat with fuchsia blooms by British milliner Joy Scott

 

Exuberant turban with knotted pouf, all made of tubular crin by British milliner Sarah Blackmore
Beautiful crown shape on this dove grey merino wool fedora by Australian milliner Meghan Briton
Red sinamay hat with interesting double brim by Dutch milliner Marianne Jongkind
White sinamay percher with statement emerald silk abaca & turquoise braid trim by Australian milliner Pamela O’Brien
Pink brocade covered bumper pillbox with classic back bow by Australian milliner Jill Humphries
Hand woven straw bandeau by German milliner Antje Lücke

 

A wonderful portrait of the late Duke of Edinburgh, painted by Ralph Heiman in 2017, went on display at Windsor Castle

Images from social media as indicated 

Catching Up With Danish Royals

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On Wednesday, Queen Margrethe travelled on the Danish royal yacht Dannebrog to her summer home at Gråsten Palace, repeating her bright pink suit and matching hat for the journey.

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The hat is trimmed in a double hatband in the same navy floral fabric as her blouse and pink and white silk blossoms.

Designer: likely Per Falk Hansen
Previously Worn: Jul 17, 2019;

The same day, Prince Felix graduated from high school at Gammel Hellerup Gymnasium. Joined by his parents and elder brother for the ceremony, he wore a traditional Danish graduation cap.

Also on Wednesday, Princess Benedict was in Vordingborg to take part in centennial celebrations of the Historical Botanical Gardens at Vordingborg Castle For this event, she topped a floral dress with her ecru straw picture hat with broad, sidesweeping brim and wide hatband.

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: June 2, 2018

Yesterday, Queen Margrethe attended the Royal Life Guards “Watch Parade” in Copenhagen to present the “Queen’s Watch” military award and official opened a Viking exhibition at the National Museum in Copenhagen. For these events, she repeated her wide brimmed red straw hat with lattice patterned fabric diagonally overlaid over the crown and on the brim’s binding. The hat is finished with a slim hatband and front bow.

Designer: likely Per Falk Hansen
Previously Worn: May 25, 2021; Sep 12, 2018; Sep 2, 2017; Sep 2, 2015; Jun 19, 2014;  May 24, 2014; Aug 31, 2013; Jul 1, 2013;  May 29, 2013, May 14, 2013; Sep 11, 2009; Jun 2, 2009; Jun 30, 2008; Feb 20, 2008; Sep  12, 2007; Jun 7, 2007;  May 10, 2007

What do you think of this quartet of hats this week in Denmark?

Images from Getty as indicated