Favourite Repeated Royal Hat: May 2019

Posted on by

Wonderful summer guest posts and lively discussion questions (that sent my nose into the archives on more than one occasion!) were fun distractions which, I’m afraid, made me lax in posting several months of hat polls. May was a busy month of foreign visits, garden parties, a royal wedding and the inauguration of a new emperor, all events that saw some memorable hats. We’re going to look back at these beauties and choose one to be put forward in our countdown to your Favourite Repeated Royal Hat of 2019.

There were ten new repeated beauties worn during the month of May which, based on your comments, were particularly admired. It’s now time to choose a winner.

Please click on each caption link to jump to original feature posts with additional views, information and discussion on each hat. Here are the ten repeated hats most admired in May, shown in the order they were worn:

1.     2.
Princess Akiko in an aqua blue rolled brim Breton hat with feathers and veil worn May 3
Duchess of Cornwall’s cream picture hat with peaked crown & feather pinwheel by Philip Treacy worn May 15
3.     4.
Queen Elizabeth’s magenta straw Rachel Trevor Morgan sidesweep with flowers & feathers worn May 18
Duchess of Gloucester’s royal blue textured, braided headband worn May 18
5.     6.
Queen Máxima’s black silk double bandeau headpiece by Fabienne Delvigne worn May 20
Countess of Wessex’s blush pink straw disc hat with black windowpane crin by Jane Taylor worn May 21
7.     8.

Princess Alexandra’s natural straw picture hat with with floral hatband and tan veil worn May 21
Queen Elizabeth’s pale jade straw hat with silk flowers & bow by Rachel Trevor Morgan worn May 22
9.    10.
Queen Máxima’s beigey-pink picture hat with soaring ‘slice’ brim by Fabienne Delvigne worn May 23
Princess Hisako in a black straw pork pie crown hat with white crin brim overlay worn May 25 
This poll will remain open until Sunday, September 22  at midnight GMT.   As usual for these polls, each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. Good Luck!

Danish Queen Concludes Sailing Season

Posted on by

Queen Margrethe arrived back from Germany yesterday at Copenhagen’s waterfront ‘Nordre Toldbod’ aboard the royal yacht Dannebrog. Before disembarking, she thanked each person on the 57-member crew for this sailing season- the 90th year the 78-meter long ship has been in the water. For this year’s sailing farewell, Queen Margrethe repeated a brightly patterned red hat.

The design features a flat crown and generous brim with gentle curve that frames Margrethe’s face really well and gives a jauntily lighthearted feel to the design. Shape, however, is not what is immediately noticed about this hat- it’s all about the red and white print! We see so few printed royal hats I find myself embracing this one. Yes, its repeat on Margrethe’s high-necked blouse is a bit much but her navy suit firmly grounds the ensemble and makes it work. The minute she takes that jacket off, however, it will be print overkill.

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: 1994

I adore that after 7 years of looking closely at royal hats here, there are still unexpected surprises, such as this design, that come our way! What do you think of Queen Margrethe’s new red and white hat?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Swedish Royals Attend Opening Of Parliament

Posted on by

The Swedish Royal Family arrived at the Swedish Parliament House in Stockholm this morning to take part in the opening of the new parliamentary session

Embed from Getty Images

The family, led by the king and queen, dressed in the black and white dress code traditionally associated with this event (well, most of them did but we’ll get to that, shortly!). Queen Silvia repeated her white straw calot hat with back bow and net tulle veil. The beehive shaped hat is wrapped in stripes of straw, giving the design texture and dimension in addition to a distinctive shape. It’s not my favourite hat in Silvia’s wardrobe but integrates very well with her hairstyle.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Mode Rosa
Previously Worn: Sep 4, 2017; Apr 24, 2016; Jun 6, 2014; Sep 8, 2013; May 10, 2013; Apr 16, 2013

Crown Princess Victoria wore an interesting headpiece put together from two previously worn separate designs. The white triple ringed bandeau previously had a large white bloom that was removed today and in its place, Victoria’s headpiece of black and white layered butterfly bows.  I’m all for mixing millinery pieces whenever possible but there’s something incongruous about this combination, which, I’m afraid, looks like a bit of a mash-up. I wish the ringed bandeau had been repeated in its original, flower trimmed form.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Designer of the ringed headpiece: unknown (Philip Treacy made its pink twin)
Previously Worn: April 16, 2015
Designer of the Butterfly bow headpiece: Malinda Damgaard 
Previously Worn: September 13, 2016; October 19, 2015; September 15, 2015

Princess Sofia veered away from the black and white dress code with a two-piece headpiece – face framing bandeau and a separate bow worn at the base of her neck- in luxe wine velvet.  As far as bandeaus go, it’s a good one and frames Sofia’s face beautifully. The colour, however, has me scratching my own head here- yes, it’s a beautiful, painterly fall colour that looks fantastic in velvet but… I can’t believe I’m stating the obvious here… it’s not black or white. Is this the start of coloured accessories for this event? I hope so!

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Headpieces by M (Matthias Lavesson)
Previously Worn: this headpiece is new

This is one of very few annual hatted events in Sweden and leaves me curious, dearest readers- what do you think of this trio of off-the-face millinery designs?

Embed from Getty Images

Photos from Getty as indicated 

British Royals Attend Braemar Games

Posted on by

On Saturday, Queen Elizabeth was joined by the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay and Peter and Autumn Philips for what looked like a very enjoyable day at the Braemar Games.

Embed from Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth repeated her royal purple felt hat with square crown, downward facing brim with upfolded kettle edge and dark purple velvet hatband trimmed with stitched purple velvet leaves and silk flowers.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

This outing gives us a good look at this hat’s trim, which was updated for it’s last outing. This change elevates the hat- I adore those stitched velvet leaves)-  and the trim works much better than the white irises that originally adorned it. Fascinatingly, this trim change has made the design look much more in proportion, an optical illusion that works so well here (the hatmaker herself confirmed there were no changes to the hat’s crown height, as we suspected during its last outing) and ties beautifully with the velvet trim on this ensemble’s coat.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Angela Kelly made by Stella McLaren
Previously Worn: Mar 11, 2019;  Jan 13, 2019; Oct 23, 2018; Mar 6, 2018; Dec 7, 2017; Nov 24, 2016

The Duchess of Rothesay repeated her formed beret in deep cranberry red felt, trimmed with a pair of pheasant feathers.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

This is the first good look we’ve had at this hat in years which is great, because it’s really wonderful on Camilla. She has just two red hats in her wardrobe, such a shame as she wears the colour so well.

Embed from Getty Images

An interesting side note on this hat- worn well past the 10 wears that we’ve discussed recently (thanks to a quote from the late milliner Philip Somerville guessing this as the average number of times most royal hats are worn), the original feathers that appeared on this hat were replaced in 2017 for the larger ones we see on it today. While the change may have been an aesthetic one, it certainly has added to this hat’s longevity!

Embed from Getty Images
At the Palace of Holyroodhouse on May 9, 2012

Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: August 25, 2019; Sep 30, 2018; Sep 23, 2018; Sep 16, 2018; Sep 24, 2017; Aug 20, 2017; April 16, 2017; Sep 11, 2016; Sep 26, 2015; Sep 5, 2012; Sep 1, 2012; May 9, 2012; Sep 18, 2011; Apr 9, 2006; Apr 10, 2005

Autumn Phillips wore a percher hat with sculpted base in sage green described by the milliner as “hand-blocked peachbloom felt pillbox hat trimmed with an abstract bow, and finished with 2 degrade dyed feathers and a large crystal pearl in subtle tones of the same colour.”

Embed from Getty Images

The scale and movement of this piece is wonderful on her and makes such a great pairing for her slightly lighter green plaid wool coat. I particularly admire the shape and height of the bow and the colour of the feathers. Some might be tempted to pair this coat with burgundy hat to match its velvet trim but I adore that Autumn (or her stylist, Annie Miall) went the less expected route with this design in green. It’s so much more interesting and brings out her green eyes so well.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Sally-Ann Provan’s Artani design  It is the Guinea London Knightsbridge coat. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Yesterday, Queen Elizabeth attended Suinday service at Crathie Kirk in a repeated cloche variation covered in pale silk crepe. The hat’s contrasting black lower hatband, which shows up as a sharply punctuating pinstripe, and black leaves, nestled behind those exquisite handmade flowers, are an unexpected touch on this hat but one that makes it work so well.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: Aug 6, 2019; Aug 12, 2018

The Duchess of Rothesay also attended church, repeating her red beret’s taupe twin, also trimmed with pheasant feathers.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: Aug 11, 2019; Aug 19, 2018; Oct 8, 2017; Sep 10, 2017; Aug 13, 2017; Sep 18, 2016

That’s five hats in Scotland over the weekend. Which ones stood out most to you?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

This Week’s Extras

Posted on by

Weighing in on last week’s extras a bit late. Stay tuned later today for a separate post on the British royals at the Braemar Games and church this weekend.

On September 1, Princess Märtha Louise donned a fluffy pink organza and net fascinator for Derbyday at Øvrevoll Racecourse.
On August 31, Queen Margrethe wore a white straw hat with kettle brim and lace hatband to unveil a statue of Bernhard Arp Sindberg in Aarhus. The hat is so well paired with her blue and white dress.
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Crown Princess Mary repeated her black straw wide brimmed hat with pleated wave on one side of the brim last Thursday for Danish Flag Day. The hat, by Danish milliner Susanne Juul, had a newly added large black pleated flower on the side.

 

For Prince Hisahito’s 13th birthday last Friday, the Imperial Household Agency released photos taken on the private leg of his recent visit to Bhutan with his parents that show the young prince and Princess Kiko in informal cotton bucket hats. It’s fun to see the Akishinos looking so informal!
Princess Anne, Timothy Laurence and Mike Tindall in casual hats yesterday at the Burghley Horse Trials to watch Zara compete (she took a fall off her horse but reportedly, both were not injured)
Empress Masako in a white hat with double sky blue hatband and back bow yesterday at the 39th National Sea Enrichment Festival in Akita City.
The following new millinery designs caught my eye last week:
Black straw bumper with trio of large, rolled crin & straw flowers by New Zealand milliner Monika Neuhauser
Mustard yellow felt percher (in such a unique shape!) with bows by British milliner Rachel Trevor Morgan
Two-tone sinamay rolled disc hat with wonderful floral trim (see the back!) by Kenyan milliner Chloe Mitchell

And from Russian milliner Denis Gulyaev, this sculpted fedora in the most stunning shade of dark raspberry felt with a deep purple wrapped hatband.

Empress Emerita Michiko underwent surgery for breast cancer Saturday (Sunday in Japan). I’m sure you all join me in surrounding her with wishes for healing and wellness.
Interesting article in the New York Times about Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (Princess Beatrice’s boyfriend). Seems he’s much more than a handsome face.
Charming photos shared by the Belgian monarchy of Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore on their first day of school last week
Several royals came up against interesting doppelgangers last week- King Philippe and Queen Mathilde both faced their likenesses on canvas (the portrait of Queen Mathilde is wonderful!) while the Duchess of Cornwall met herself in this charming work in blackwork needlepoint (a type of embroidery using only black thread).
Embed from Getty Images

Photos from social media as indicated