Monday Multiples: Queen Máxima

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Last week in Indonesia, Queen Máxima repeated a ruched brown straw toque-inspired headpiece with open crown. So far, she has paired this headpiece with three very different dresses:

Look #1: With a turquoise metallic silk dress embroidered with gold, silver, copper, bronze and black beads and sequins by Natan, worn for King’s Day in 2014

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Embed from Getty ImagesQueen Máxima

Look #2: With a vibrant green draped sleeveless dress also by Natan, worn on July 7, 2015

 

Look #3: With a long coral floral print linen dress with balloon sleeves by Zimmerman, worn March 12, 2020 in Indonesia.

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Which ensemble do you think works best with this headpiece?

Photos from Rpe/Albert Nieboer/dpa via Corbis and Getty as indicated 

This Week’s Extras

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Yesterday, Empress Masako was photographed arriving for the Spring Equinox Festival at the Imperial Palace in an ecru silk covered hat with upturned Breton brim. This video shows Crown Princess Kiko, Princess Mako, Princess Kako and Princess Hisako arriving in cream silk bumper hats and Princess Tsuguko in a her cloche with short cartwheel brim.
King Harald and Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit shared greetings and words of encouragement along with photos of how they are keeping occupied in isolation


Several of you have commented on this re-post of Queen Margrethe making a dachshund hat. It’s certainly worth another watch!
I have no idea when this photo was taken but it shows one of the wives of  Swazi King Mswati III in a fun, deep red headpiece that I don’t remember seeing before.
The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:

 Blue straw fedora with saucy brim with silver lace appliqué with hand embroidered sequins by Dutch milliner Wies Mauduit
Black beret percher rimmed in straw blooms and a straw bow by New York-based brand Suzanne Couture Millinery
Another bold and wonderfully vibrant sinamay headpiece by American milliner Amy Fowler
Lovely drape on this vibrant blue felt beret percher’s double bow by Australian milliner Neil Grigg
Exaggerated and striking white boater hat with tall crown and cutout brim by Korean milliner Q Park
Blue ombre bandeau headpiece of overlapping straw leaves by British milliner Bee Smith
Lovely mulberry felt fedora with extended brim and fantastic pheasant feathers by Kenya-based miliner Chloe Mitchell
Black and white straw saucer with flying rim trimmed with lace by American milliner Tiffany Arey
Mysteriously beautiful veiled black lace mask headpiece by British milliner Jane Taylor
Tan felt fedora with fascinating textured brim by Australian milliner Felicity Northeast
Two-toned blue sinamay percher with sweeping shape by New York-based milliner Sally Caswell
Futuristic black straw saucer brimmed design with orbiting planets by British brand Miss Ginny Millinery
Two blush leather halo bandeau headpieces with statement flowers here and here by Australian milliner Cessiah Alice
For our dear gents, this sleek black fedora with silk paisley hatband from Danish brand Hornskov København

And from British milliner Anne Tomlin, this amazing percher made from straw braid sewn with wire and formed into a caged button percher, trimmed with exquisite handmade lily-of-the-valley and silk abaca leaves.

Happy news from Bhutan on the safe arrival of a new prince on Thursday.

What are you doing to spread support and encouragement these days?

Photos from social media as indicated

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hats thirty years to March 21, 1990 and a tour of Cameroon that saw Diana, Princess of Wales in a wide-brimmed pink straw picture hat with layered hatband and slightly pinched (like a safari hat!) crown by Philip Somerville.

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Photo from Getty as indicated

Most Flowers?

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While many of us are practicing social isolation during this global health crisis, I thought it was a good time to bring back the weekly hat questions that have entertained us during quiet periods in the past (see an index of the hat shapes and trims we’ve explored here) and given us hours of fun research!

We’re going to restart this series back in Queen Elizabeth’s hat closet. We’ve seen her hats with the largest flowers  but which one of her hats contains the most number of flowers? Or has flowers covering the largest surface area?

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Photo from Getty as indicated

Countess of Wessex’s Commonwealth Day Hats

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The Commonwealth Day service, held every year on the second Monday in March, always brings us a lovely lineup of hats, often the first spring designs we see of the season. After last week’s beautiful service, I thought it might be interesting to look back at retrospectives of hats we’ve seen different members wear. Interestingly, the Countess of Wessex has only attended the service four times:

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Sharply sidesweeping grey slice hat with open weave brim and pale pink feather trim by Jane Taylor in 2012;
Ecru lace covered beret percher with multi looped bow also by Jane Taylor in 2014

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Navy  straw percher with swirling cream and gold feather trim in 2018 and navy felt domed pillbox with dotted veil in 2020, both by Jane Taylor

While all four hats could be described as having neutral palates, they each still make a significant style statement! The large grey hat with pink feathers in 2012 is one I’ve hoped we’d see again- even though the feather placement is a little awkward, it’s such a showstopping design and paired so beautifully with Sophie’s oyster silk coat.

What does this progression of four hats, worn over eight years, tell you about the Countess’ evolution of millinery style?

Photos from Getty as indicated