This Week’s Extras

Have a lovely Sunday- I’ll be back first thing tomorrow for focused coverage and discussion on hats worn for the Romanian national holiday and look at two (one new!) designs worn by Queen Elizabeth over the weekend at the Windsor Horse Show.

On Tuesday, Empress Masako was spotted arriving at the Imperial Palace with the emperor to rehearse their first court ritual which took place on Wednesday. She repeated her unembellished almond bumper hat.
Also on Tuesday, the Duke of York was spotted in uniform as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards (with cap) for the morning’s Changing of the Queen’s Life Guard at Horse Guards riding new Cavalry Black horse ‘Darby’, apparently practicing for the upcoming Trooping the Colour.
On Wednesday, King Carl Gustaf donned his trusty brown fedora for the World Wildlife Fund’s annual meeting, held this year at Huvudskär and Utö in the Stockholm archipelago. The same day, King Harald commemorated Norwegian Armed Forces Day and Liberation Day at Akurshus Fortress, predictably in military uniform with cap.
Infanta Elena donned a neutral straw fedora to watch her daughter, Victoria de Marichalar, open the Seville Fair in a traditional Spanish mantilla with tall peineta comb (see more photos and video here). And 20 years after meeting at this event, the Dutch King and Queen returned this week along with their three daughters… and a quartet of wonderfully vibrant floral headpieces.


On Wednesday, Princess Alexandra visited a life boat station in Shoreham. She repeated her ice blue straw hat with tall crown wrapped in coordinating net tulle, designed by Rachel Trevor Morgan.
Queen Margrethe unveiled a new statue of Denmark’s longest reigning monarch King Christian IV (1577 – 1648) in Copenhagen yesterday. She repeated a hat with ecru straw crown and grey straw double brim for the event.


The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Emerald straw button percher with vibrant ribbon trim and soaring quills by NY milliner Jennifer Hoertz
Pink felt wide brimmed hat with rose gold diamanté hatband from LA based milliner Gladys Tamez
VA VA VOOM red straw percher with the most fantastic curving trim by Australian brand Jill and Jack Millinery
Exquisite curving cream disc with pink handmade blooms and curving quills by Rachel Trevor Morgan
Navy beret percher with hand-beaded bow by Irish milliner Michelle Gleeson
Classic ivory straw picture hat with monochrome leaf printed brim by British milliner Bee Smith
Colourful red and green embroidered lace headpiece from German milliner Nicki Marquardt
Black and white patterned straw pyramid with crin and tassel trim by Italian brand Giulia Mio Millinery

Another interesting article on the Empress of Japan, written by someone with personal connection (The Asahi Shimbun)
King Hamad Of Bahrain and sons Sheikh Nasser and Sheikh Khaled were spotted out for a ride at Windsor Castle in between days spent enjoying the Royal Windsor Horse Show this week
Did you see this delightfully sweet exchange between Queen Elizabeth and former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien on Tuesday?

Princess Margriet presented the Duke of Sussex with an adorable gift during his quick visit to The Hague this week to official launch this year’s Invictus Games, to be held in The Netherlands.

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And finally- the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared this sweet photo of ten wee toes today, in honor of Mother’s Day (notice the background forget-me-not flowers, a favourite of the Duke’s late mother)

Photos from Getty and social media as indicated

Prince of Wales Hosts Palace Garden Party

This season of British royal garden parties kicked off today with the Prince of Wales hosting this year’s first event, on behalf of the Queen, at Buckingham Palace. The Prince, who carried his black silk top hat, was joined by his wife and sister.

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The Duchess of Cornwall repeated a cream straw picture hat with off-center, peaked crown, upswept brim and spiky ecru feather explosion on the side. It’s a familiar look from Camilla but one she carries very well.

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Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: June 5, 2018; July 1, 2017June 20, 2017

Princess Anne repeated a pale blue straw stovepipe crowned hat wrapped in a wide silk organza hatband that ties in a large bow. Today, Anne placed the bow around the back, leaving the arrow trimmed feathers studded in it nearly out of view.

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While it’s a lovely colour for her (particularly with that gobstopping aquamarine pendant!), the hat’s scale and tall crown is simply too big. There are at least three other pale blue hats in Anne’s wardrobe (here, here and here) with more flattering scale and shape- one ought to match well enough with this suit to pair with it.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: July 1, 2015; June 18, 2013; June 14, 2011; likely others 

Thoughts on this pair of hats today at Buckingham Palace?

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Photos from Getty as indicated 

Hat From the Past

Royal Hats to this day in 2002 when, during a tour of Northern Ireland, Queen Elizabeth wore Marie O’Reagan design with looping brim binding-hatband-giant bow. Royal hats don’t often build their focus trim off a brim’s binding, making this design a unique and interesting one, indeed.

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Photos from Getty as indicated

 

Wrapping Up The Royal Windsor Horse Show

The Royal Windsor Horse Show concluded over the weekend with a number of royal attended events and a quintet of royal hats. On Saturday, Queen Elizabeth presented the day’s awards in a repeated her pink felt hat with square crown and short, cartwheel brim. The hat is trimmed with slim hatband of braided chevron-edged felt, a wide blue quill and curled copper feathers. Her Majesty wears pink so well and while I’m still not a great fan of the bouclé fabric used for her coat, the hat coordinates well with it.

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Designer: Angela Kelly made by Stella McLaren
Previously Worn: Sep 2, 2017Feb 2, 2014Apr 21, 2017

Sunday, the final day of the show, saw The Champagne Laurent-Perrier Meet of the British Driving Society held in Home Park. Prince Michael of Kent was one of three members of the royal family to take part in carriage driving, looking dapper in a classic black felt bowler hat.

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The Countess of Wessex made her carriage driving debut in a hat that has become a workhorse in her millinery closet, her navy moulded straw percher with swirling cream and gold feather trim. On its own, the hat is great on Sophie- great scale, great colour, great placement- but here, it’s fantastic. Matching one’s riding crop to the feathers on one’s hat is a whole other level of chic.

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Designer: Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: Mar 12, 2018Nov 14, 2017Nov 24, 2016;  Aug 16, 2015Sep 15, 2012Jun 5, 2012

Lady Louise took part in this, her second event of this year’s show, with a repeated lichen green plaid top hat with caramel suede hatband and piping around the saddle brim. It’s a quintessential carriage driving hat but one Lady Louise wears well.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: May 14, 2017

Queen Elizabeth was on hand for the final day of the show yesterday to present winning awards in a vibrant new blue hat. In dark turquoise straw, the hat features a flat, straight-sided crown and upturned kettle brim edged in a wide band of the same silk crepe as Her Majesty’s matching coat. A slight sidesweep gives elegant movement to the shape, as does the tall straw ‘wrap’ around the crown; the hat is finished with a slim silk crepe hatband and silk roses on the side.

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The colour of this ensemble is perfection and it’s lovely to see a slightly wider brim on the Queen. I think I’d prefer the brim edge be a smidge narrower but that’s nitpicking- it’s a great new addition to the Queen’s hat wardrobe

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Designer: Looks like Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: This hat is new

It looks like a wonderful time was had here by all, in addition to these great hats. Which one stands out to you?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Romanian National Day 2019

On Friday, members of the Romanian royal family celebrated their country’s national holiday as they have in the past, hosting a garden party for 3000 guests at Elisabeta Palace.

   

A palace garden party usually includes hats and such was the case in Bucharest. Custodian of the Crown, Her Majesty Margareta wore an ecru straw teardrop shaped sauce with high upsweep, the underside of which is trimmed with an oversize red silk flower. The flower feels slightly out of proportion (trimmed back just slightly, I think, would do the trick) although it makes a dramatic and festive statement that fits this occasion well.

Designer: Kristina Dragomir
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Princess Maria wore a similarly shaped disk hat in blush beige-pink straw, trimmed with coque and goose feathers in the same pink and varied shades of blue. The colour scheme is a bit unexpected but works, particularly in combination with Maria’s beige-pink silk dress and navy coat.

Designer: likely Kristina Dragomir
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

Princess Sophie topped her peacock blue silk dress with a beige straw sidesweep saucer hat trimmed in vibrant blue goose and arrow trimmed coque feathers. I suspect the hat was placed to coincide with Sophie’s hairstyle but I wish it was pivoted slightly forward with the top of the hat angled slightly lower to sweep across her face instead of hover behind it.  Princess Elena paired her emerald silk suit with a deep eggplant hued straw saucer, also trimmed in goose and pointed coque feathers. The purple and green scheme is a brave one- I just wish the green feathers were a better match for the jacket, the purple straw base was larger and, like her sister, the hat was worn at a less severely upright angle.

It’s always lovely to see the Romanian royal sisters at this annual event and I wonder- do you think their quartet of saucer sidesweeps was a coincidence this year?!

Photos from Daniel Angelescu via the Royal Family Of Romania