Monday Multiples: Queen Elizabeth

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Thanks to Jimbo for providing the introduction and background research for this “Monday Multiples” series.

Jimbo’s Introduction: Queen Elizabeth wore this green coat with a coarsely woven straw hat in Sacramento, California in March of 1983. A few days later she wore it with a fantastic multi-colored hat, the feathers matching the dress worn under the coat.  She repeated the second hat for Christmas later that year and for a visit to Canada in September of 1984.  Both hats had veils on them, and both were very nice!

Look #1: Textured loden green straw hat with short brim, veil and ribbon hatband tied in a front bow, worn March 4, 1983 during a visit to California

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Look #2: Printed felt Breton with rolled brim, veil and side feather spray worn for the Commonwealth Day and Christmas Day services in 1983 and on the September 1984 Canadian tour

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Which hat do you prefer most with this ensemble?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

This Week’s Extras

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Great grey veiled hat on Princess Hisako last Sunday for a visit to Omiwa Shrine
The Japanese emperor and empress visited Nara and Kyoto this week. For their arrival on Tuesday, Empress Masko repeated a white silk bowler hat with  beaded hatband. For mausoleum visits on Wednesday, she wore a smart (new, I think) pale grey hat with short, upturned brim and horizontally pleated crown.


On Thursday, Princess Nobuko wore a fun dark blue crowned hat with black fur (maybe faux fur?) brim studded with tiny grey cut feathers to attend the 130th anniversary ceremony of the Japanese Red Cross Society in Yamanashi.
Also on Thursday, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted a tea party for 600 people at Kyoto Imperial Palace. Empress Masako’s pale blue hat has a lovely wave sculpted into the upturned brim. Later that day, she wore a cream hat with short, kettle brim with wide, double layered peach silk hatband for her and the emperor’s return to Tokyo.


The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Gently waved shape on this burgundy felt formed cap by Italian brand Galia et Peter
Wonderful white saucer of free-hand wired roses by Australian milliner Lisa Hughes
Absolutely exquisite feather work on this deep inky blue percher by UK-based milliner Guilia Mio
Such a lovely shape on this camel felt upturned brim design by British milliner Jane Taylor
Love the sparkling beaded veil on this black felt boater by Irish milliner Aiofe Harrison
Sunrise on a hat! Orange and red straw, crin and floral percher by Australian brand Locopa Designs
Fantastic movement on this charcoal felt percher with flying tails by British milliner Dillon Wallwork

And from Australian milliner Georgia Skelton, this lilac straw pyramid shaped hat with jaw-droppinghandmade open lattice brim.



Princess Aiko turns 18 tomorrow and to celebrate, the Imperial court released this video.
And because a giggle is always welcome, we end this week with a delightful anecdote told by Lady Pamela Hicks about her aging former Nanny and the Queen.

Photos from social media as indicated

Dutch Queen Attends Union Conference

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This morning, Queen Máxima attended CNV Vakmensen’s (a very large Dutch union) anniversary conference, repeating her textured pink bandeau headpiece. The embroidered fabric used on the headpiece and coat are studded with small sequins.

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There are numerous things to like here- the scale is great, large enough to give the headpiece some presence but not overwhelm, the fabric texture gives great dimension and the sequins add subtle sparkle when in motion. These things all balance the pale shade, making a very polished yet interesting ensemble for the Dutch Queen, who wears it very well.

Thoughts about this headpiece today on its second outing?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hats 63 years to this day in 1956 when Queen Elizabeth visited the newly restored Queen Victoria Room and State Apartments at Kensington Palace and an exhibition at the London Museum in a ruched velvet brimless hat with button trim.

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Photos from Getty as indicated

Countess of Wessex’s Christmas Hats

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This Christmas is the Countess of Wessex’s 20th Christmas as a member of the British Royal Family. Over the past two  decades, she has worn a fascinatingly diverse array of hats to church on Christmas Day at Sandringham:

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Green felt top hat with raised pleated brim in 1999; Ecru folded brimless hat with black curled quills in 2000

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Camel split crown felt cloche with bow in 2001; Prim navy domed pillbox with burgundy feathers in 2002

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Chocolate felt wide-brimmed Philip Treacy sidesweep with leaf trim in 2003; Repeat of the camel felt cloche in 2004

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Black felt sidesweep with feather flower in 2005; Burgundy humped crown cloche in 2006. Both by Philip Treacy.

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Textured straw beret in 2008; Red felt beaded flower headpiece in 2009. Both by Rachel Trevor Morgan

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Purple button percher with jewel trimmed ruffle in 2010; Navy beaded felt pillbox in 2011. Both by Jane Taylor

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Chocolate felt cut leaf headpiece in 2012; Beaded black button percher with flying bow in 2013;
Leopard print felt pillbox with flat black bow in 2014. All by Jane Taylor

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Grey felt percher with jinsin twistl in 2015. Black laser-cut percher with raw-edge crin in 2016. Both by Jane Taylor

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 Navy felt leaf headpiece in 2017; Black crushed velvet percher with birdcage veil in 2018. Both by Jane Taylor

UPDATE- Since this post was published, the Countess has worn the following hats on Christmas Day:

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Maroon velvet veiled bandeau by Jane Taylor in 2019

This mix includes extremes from classic to unconventional, restrained to exaggerated, familiar to experimental. I can’t say I’d choose many of these hats for myself but I find myself drawn in to many of them for a closer look- they are fascinating!  It’s this bravery, versatility and unpredictability that makes Sophie’s millinery so much fun to follow. What hats here stand out most to you?

Photos from Chris Jackson, Chris Jackson via Getty; Splash News/Corbis; Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock; Pool/Samir Hussein/Wirestock via Getty; Getty as indicated