Danish Opening Of Parliament 2019

Posted on by

Members of the Danish royal family attended their country’s annual opening of Parliament yesterday in Copenhagen. Queen Margrethe wore an unexpectedly quick repeat of the purple felt hat we saw her wear over the weekend. There’s not much to add to my last comments- great colour, interesting brim shape and lovely proportions. The bow is not my favourite trim option for this hat but it works.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Likely Per Falk Hansen
Previously Worn: Sep 28, 2019; Jan 20, 2013; Apr 1, 2013; Oct 20, 2012; Oct 2, 2012; Jan 15, 2012

Crown Princess Mary repeated the pink brimless hat we first saw her wear in Latvia late last year.

Embed from Getty Images

Photos from this outing show the hat is not a pillbox as it first appears (and continues to appear, from front and side views!) but follows a calot shape with indented center that forms a thick, raised cuff around the design. While I don’t adore the shape, it certainly gives the hat more presence and statement than a traditional pillbox shape would have, and for that reason, I like it more than I did on its first outing. Pink can be tricky in royal wardrobes (easily too bright or too twee) but this dusky hue works really well on Mary and the overall look is polished and sleek.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Susanne Yuul. Coat by Claes Iversen.
Previously Worn: Dec 6, 2018 

Princess Benedikte topped her hunter green wool with coordinating felt hat with high bumper sides and domed crown trimmed with two navy straw leaves that artfully wave from one side across the back of the design.

Embed from Getty Images

I can’t remember seeing Benedikte in a hat this colour and the departure is a good one, particularly with the addition of her patterned silk dress to give the ensemble some lift.

Embed from Getty Images

What do you think of this trio of hats yesterday in Copenhagen?

Photos from Getty and social media as indicated 

Hat From the Past

Posted on by

Royal Hats41 years ago today when Princess Margaret took joined in independence festivities on the island of Tuvalu in the most marvelous headdress.

Embed from Getty Images

Photo from Getty as indicated

Catching Up With The Danish Royals

Posted on by

Queen Margrethe took in the races on Saturday at Klampenborg Racecourse. For this outing, which saw her present The Queen’s Honorary Award, she repeated a hat we’ve not seen in several years. In royal purple felt, the design features a diagonally placed brim and bow trim on one side. A piece first worn for her Ruby Jubilee in 2012, it’s nice to see this vibrant hat trotted out again.

Designer: Likely Per Falk Hansen
Previously Worn: Jan 15, 2012; Oct 2, 2012; Oct 20, 2012; Jan 20, 2013; Apr 1, 2013;

Also on Saturday, Crown Princess Mary officially opened a namesake bridge connecting West and North Zealand across Roskilde Fjord. For the event, she wore a new saucer hat in navy fur felt with sharply angled brim (upturned on one side, downturned on the other) trimmed with a felt bow and large silk flower.

The shape is a departure for Mary and while I don’t like the sharp angles of this design on her as much as some of her other, more classic, softer shapes, it’s great to see some variation in her millinery wardrobe. It also stood up admirably to some intense wind! As usual, the ensemble was beautifully styled, with a pop colour from her red dress.

Designer: Jane Taylor. It is the “Jujube” design from AW 2017
Previously Worn: This hat is new

On Sunday, the new M3 Cityringen metro line in Copenhagen was officially opened by its first, very royal passenger. For this inaugural ride, Queen Margrethe repeated her charcoal grey felt trilby with pompom flower trim. It’s a very chic hat (this is one of a very few royal pompoms that works!) that Margrethe wears very well.

Photo from Getty as indicated

Monday Multiples: Queen Máxima

Posted on by

Late last month, Queen Máxima repeated a fuchsia picture hat with sharply sidesweeping ‘slice’ brim. We’ve seen her pair this hat with three ensembles so far:

Look #1: With a fuchsia silk Natan dress with wide collar and beaded waist detail worn April 27, 2015 for Prinsjesdag and April 13, 2016 in Germany

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Look #2: With a tropical sunset printed silk Valentino dress worn July 4, 2016 to welcome a Greek state visit

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Look #3: With a Natan cream silk blouse and textured skirt with large sash worn August 31, 2019 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Dutch Liberation in Zeeland

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Look #4: With a ruched pink Natan dress on October 1, 2020 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Breast Cancer Association Netherlands

2020-10-01 40th anniv Breast Cancer Assoc 1 450

Which ensemble do you prefer most with this hat?

Photos from Getty as indicated; Robin Van Lonkhuijsen/ANP/AFP and Robin Van Lonkhuijsen/ANP/AFP via Getty

This Week’s Extras

Posted on by

Last Sunday, Queen Elizabeth repeated her cornflower blue hat with black trim and spiky grey feather flower to attend Sunday morning service at Crathie Kirk. The Duchess of Cornwall repeated her tan beret with pheasant feather trim.

Embed from Getty Images
Princess Hisako attended the Japan Sports Masters Tournament (for athletes over age 35) on Monday and Tuesday. Monday, she repeated a white hat with pork pie crown and wide brim edged in a black stripe with floral trim on the side. Tuesday, she wore a black straw hat with trilby-style raised back brim and wide, ecru-striped hatband. On Thursday, she repeated her ivory small brimmed, lace-covered hat with side bow for the 130th anniversary of the Japanese Red Cross Society in Gifu.. Yesterday, she wore this brimmed design to attend the Regional Traditional Performing Arts National Convention in Nara.

The Imperial emperor and empress attended the 74th National Sports Festival’s opening ceremony in Hitachinaka yesterday. Empress Masako repeated a white brimmed hat with wide royal blue silk hatband.

Queen Elizabeth was joined for church this morning in Scotland by the Snowdon family. The Queen repeated an angular lime straw cloche with navy stripe around the brim and a mass of straw leaves in the two colours on the side. The Countess of Snowdon wore a sculpted beret in a fantastic shade of saffron felt, trimmed with a gold brooch while Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones donned a chic dark denim blue felt fedora with navy hatband.
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

A new book by Angela Kelly was released today that will undoubtedly, be filled with many great looks at her designs (and hats made by Stella McLaren, the in-house milliner on Kelly’s design team). I now know what’s on the top of my Christmas wish list!

The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Alpaca gives a cruelty-free and sustainable option for fur hats and this teal one from Peruvian Connection is wonderful
Red felt calot with wide ruffle and bling-y brooch trim from British brand Rebecca Couture Millinery
Very fun blue patterned pillbox hat with retro proportions by Australian milliner Karen Bailey
Loden green silk ribbon bandeau with veil from British milliner Rachel Trevor Morgan
Love unexpected coral and burgundy scheme of this straw brimmed design by Dutch milliner Myra van de Korput
Ivory felt sculpted hat with crown of folded swirls trimmed with crystals by Israeli milliner Orit Aviezer
From Stephen Jones’ new spring 2020 collection, this gravity-defying black hat with crisp white stripes

And these two green beauties from British milliners- first, from  Dorothy Morant, a hand blocked cloche in printed felt with extended brim and stunning pleated velvet ribbon trim (clearly, the Downton Abbey movie is on my mind) and second, from Carrie Jenkinson, this emerald felt saucer percher with amazing half pinwheel of statement twists.


It was so lovely to become better acquainted with this new, very sweet royal face this week
Embed from Getty Images
Prince Harry took a poignant walk in Angola down the same path his mother walked, 22 years ago.

We end the week with the Dutch king, clearly enjoying his visit today to the Motocross of Nations at the TT Assen
Embed from Getty Images

Photos from social media as indicated