Belgian and Luxembourg Monarchs Commemorate Battle of the Bulge

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King Philippe, Queen Mathilde were joined by cousin Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg this morning for a remembrance ceremony this morning in Bastogne, Belgium commemorating the 75th Battle of the Bulge (the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945).

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Queen Mathilde chose this event to debut an new felt hat with high, angular crown and moderate length cartwheel brim, simply trimmed with a slim hatband knotted on the right side.

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The colour variation of photos shows the hat in shades from a brick brown to vibrant cranberry- I think the shade depicted in the first photo of the first gallery above is most accurate, and makes for a lovely colour on Mathilde. I’m less enamored with shape of the hat’s crown, which feels a little clunky, or the puckers on the top of the brim around the front of the hat. Intentional or not, I think this type brim shape works much better when perfectly smooth and the resulting waves on let down the hat’s impact.

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Designer: entire ensemble by Dior
Previously Worn: this hat is new

What do you think of Queen Mathilde’s new hat?

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Photos from Getty as indicated 

This Week’s Extras

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Back on December 5, Princess Yoko wore a smart grey hat with lighter gray brim and black hatband for a visit to a duck preserve in Ichikawa.
Princess Yoko in a traditional Burmese “longyi” dress and jeweled crown on Wednesday for her arrival in Myanmar. She wore similar pieces on Friday (the Diana bandeau by Burmese fashion brand Zarny) and on Saturday as well.
Princess Nobuko in a feather trimmed cream pork pie hat to take in a match of the Women’s World Handball Championships on Wednesday
On Thursday,  Princess Yoko continued her visit to Myanmar with a stop at Yeway Japanese War Cemetery in Mingaladon Township, Yangon. For this event, she wore a fedora belonging to her late father.
The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Prettiest pink silk abaca halo bandeau with embroidered & sequinned flowers by Australian milliner Cessiah Alice
Tomato red felt cocktail percher with statement black feathers by Irish milliner Aiofe Harrison
Handsome felt trilby in the most wonderful shade of green from Australian brand Polly and Peaches
Chic black Panama straw fedora with cream and caramel hatbands by American milliner Amina Hood
Wonderfully creative and bold shape on this brimless scarlet hat by British milliner Inna Walker

Back on November 30, Prince Léopold of Nassau (son of Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg) and Princess Maria Carolina (daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Castro) were photographed at the Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris
The Monaco royal twins shared a sweet message for their maternal grandmother this week
Lovely new family portraits shared by the King and Queen of Jordan and the Duke and Duchess of Parma with their families

Photos from social media as indicated

Countess of Wessex Presides Over Sandhurst Parade

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The Duchess of Wessex braved a very windy morning in Camberley today to represent The Queen as the Reviewing Officer at The Sovereign’s Parade at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. For this event, she braved the elements in a new black felt pillbox hat.

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The hat’s classic shape is a more traditional choice for the Countess than we usually see her wear but I really like it-  its scale is perfect on her and the slightly flared shape gives lift to the design and frames her face in a lovely way. While I do appreciate the bolder, more daring designs that Sophie has favored in recent years, she carries this classic design so beautifully, it’s nice to see her change things up.

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Designer: presumably Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: This hat is new

What do you think of Sophie’s new hat?

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Photos from Getty as indicated 

Duchess of Cambridge’s Christmas Hats

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With Christmas less than two weeks away, we’re going to take another look at Christmas Day hats of the past. Today’s look is at those worn by the Duchess of Cambridge:

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Burgundy felt stylised trilby by Jane Corbett in 2011; Emerald felt Gina Foster beret with flying bow in 2013; Chocolate felt pillbox with bowby Lock & Co. in 2014

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Forest green raised saucer with leaf flowers by Lock & Co. in 2015; Black alpaca hat with wide, cuffed brim from Peruvian Connection in 2017; Claret felt bandeau with chocolate bow back detail by Jane Taylor in 2018

Update: Since this post was published, the Duchess has worn the following hats on Christmas Day:

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Repeat of the Lock & Co.green saucer in 2019

The standout here for me is the 2011 trilby- a creatively fantastic shape so beautifully highlighted by the lighter colour on the brim binding. While other designs here certainly have merit, they just don’t match that first trilby (a hat, I might add, I’ve been waiting 8 years for a second outing!). What about you, dear readers- what stands out to you in this group of hats?

Photos from Getty as indicated

British Royals Attend Memorial At Westminster Abbey

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The Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duke of Cambridge, Earl and Countess of Wessex, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence and Prince Michael of Kent attended a service of thanksgiving today at Westminster Abbey, celebrating the life of Sir Donald Gosling. The Duchess of Cornwall wore a new hat for the occasion, a wide brimmed design in navy brushed felt with off-center peaked crown and gently sweeping upturn on one side. The hat is simply, but dramatically, trimmed with a wide navy ostrich feather wrapped around the crown.

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While it’s a millinery look we’ve seen on Camilla many times before, I think this design is elevated by the rich, deep nape of the felt (velour felt, I’m guessing), its wonderfully saturated hue and THAT feather, which has luxurious texture of its own.

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Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: This hat is new

For this memorial, the Countess repeated an impeccably made bumper-edged pillbox hat covered in dark blue crepe and trimmed with a net veil.

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The colour and silhouette is lovely on Sophie and I like how she’s placed the veil a little higher around the center of her face than on its last outing. We don’t talk enough about how jewelry can set off a hat, as these angular amber earrings do here, their strong and sleek lines working so well against similar ones on the hat. It’s a strong, bold that still fits this reflective memorial occasion and Sophie wears it so well.

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Designer: Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: June 20, 2019

What do you think of this hat today, on its second outing?

Photos from Getty as indicated