Inventory: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa’s Green Hats

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Grand Duchess Maria Teresa celebrated her 63rd birthday on Friday and in honor of this milestone, I thought we’d put together our first inventory of her hats. My excitement for all things spring has me yearning for green so that’s where we’ll start:

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Designer: unknown; Fabienne Delvigne
Introduced: unknown (this photo was taken Sep 19, 1993); Jun 12, 2004 

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne: unknown 
Introduced: June 23, 2006; May 30, 2011 

5.
Designer: Philip Treacy
Introduced: August 30, 2014

It’s a bit of a hodgepodge, isn’t it?! Shades of avocado and lime can be tricky to wear and for half of the green hats to be in these shades- well that’s just brave. Disregarding the first hat (from so long ago it’s rather irrelevant now), the remaining three  are is different in shape as three hats can possibly be- something else that’s brave. I don’t think of the Grand Duchess as a particularly experimental hat wearer but this first inventory makes me wonder if I’ve been underestimating her. What do you think of her green hats?

Photos from Steve Finn, Ragnar Singsaas and Pool via Getty; Getty as indicated

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hatsto this day, 101 years ago, that saw Queen Alexandra visit the Handley Page Aeroplane manufacturing facility at Radlett Aerodrome in Hertfordshire to see women at work on planes during WWI. Her hat is an interesting one, with bulbous crown, saddle brim, large Edwardian feather plume and veil pulled low over her face (something Queen Alexandra did in later years to hide the inevitably visible signs of ageing).

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Photo from Getty as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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On Monday, the Akishinos visited the Imperial Musashino Cemetery in Hachioji. Princess Kiko wore a black silk bumper hat.
Prince Charles in a white kippah on Tuesday for a visit to the Nidhe Israel synagogue in Bridgetown, Barbados
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On Wednesday, a concert by music university graduates held at the Imperial Palace was enjoyed by several members of the Japanese royal family. Crown Princess Masako and Princess Kiko repeated bumper hats in oyster beige and pale blue; Princess Mako wore a navy cuffed calot with pointed sides and Princess Kako, a pale blue silk bowler hat. Princess Akiko repeated a pistachio green brimmed hat and Princess Yoko, a black design with square crown and short kettle brim edged in trim.


Yesterday, Queen Mathilde attended the funeral of Cardinal Godfried Danneels in her black calot wrapped in overlaid wide stripes of textured black woven fabric and trimmed with a large looped rosette on the side.
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During this week’s Danish state visit to Argentina, Crown Prince Frederik gained a bird’s eye view of a wind farm development (wind turbines from designed and built by a Danish company) near the city of Bahia Blanca. The Danish monarchy also shared photographs taken in northern Argentina after the official visit that show Queen Margrethe in what looks like a new, flat crowned, red brimmed hat 


Congratulations to Princess Kako who is graduating from the International Christian University in Tokyo. She took part in the graduation ceremony yesterday  in a gown and mortarboard hat.
Casual hats for Peter Phillips and Princess Anne today, cheering on Zara Tindall who is competing at the Gatcombe Horse Trials held on the grounds of Princess Anne’s estate.
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The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Statement gold freeform percher with butterflies by New York brand Suzanne Couture Millinery
Purple feather covered pillbox percher from Melbourne brand Jill & Jack Millinery
Sharp stylized cream felt trilby with black floral trim from Russian milliner Denis Gulyaev
Adore the colour contrast on this large copper straw disk with blue feathers from Irish milliner Aiofe Harrison
Vibrant purple straw button percher with pink flower and feather spray from US brand Fascinate Designs
Wonderful vintage print on this navy and cream pillbox by Australian milliner Chris Mullane
Blush straw saucer with light-as-air tulle pompom trim from British milliner Sarah Cant
Sculptural and beautifully draped red felt headpiece from American brand ChuChu NY
For our dear gents, this very elegant black beaver felt fedora from Danish brand Hornskov København
In a time when the need for recycling only increases in importance, Kenya-based milliner Chloe Mitchell
trimmed this charming ecru and grey floral embellished percher entirely out of felt scraps

And from British milliner Marisa Groom, this cream straw beret percher with ivory, ecru and pink organza ruffles.

Those sweet royal twins in Monaco don’t miss a holiday, do they?! So sweet

Photos from Getty and social media as indicated

York Princess Supports Orthopaedic Hospital

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The Duke of York, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank visited the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital yesterday to open their newly redeveloped Stanmore Building.

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The engagement has a very personal connection to Princess Eugenie, who underwent scoloiosis surgery at this facility when she was age 12 and, very fittingly, was officially named as the hospital’s patron this week . For this visits, she repeated the black leather bandeau headpiece with ruched center we saw her first wear at Christmas.

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A bandeau headpiece was a great choice for this visit- a visit that’s more informal in nature but the first by its new patron. As on it’s first outing, my main issue here is placement- it just seems too far forward. Indeed, the bandeau and coat dress aren’t the most harmonious pairing but it looks here that the visit was designed to be low key and this headpiece does the trick.

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Designer: Emily London; it is a bespoke version of the “Ellen” design.
Previously Worn: Dec 25, 2018

It’s nice to see Princess Eugenie on such a personal visit, and to see her new husband Jack along to support (his first official engagement, I do believe!) a facility that is clearly, of great importance to her. In such circumstances, hats hardly matter.

Photos from Getty as indicated

Danish State Visit To Argentina: Day 3

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Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik undertook a busy programme of events the Agentinian city of Tandil yesterday, including stops at city hall, a park with state of an early Danish immigrant (who became mayor) and the Danish Church. For these events, Queen Margrethe repeated her bright pink straw hat, trimmed with double navy floral fabric hatband bound in navy piping and double row of the same small flowers in white, pink and navy organza with unfinished edges.

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This is another one of Margrethe’s go-to summer ensembles and offered some vibrant contrast after the softer hued ensembles worn on the first two days of this visit. I’m still not a fan of the hatband or fussy flowers (a wide navy petersham ribbon and a single large silk bloom, please) but quietly admire anyone who can pull off a bright pink suit and hat.

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Designer: likely Peter Falk Hansen
Previously Worn: June 6, 2018; June 2, 2018; May 29, 2018; Aug 28, 2017;  June 16, 2017; September 12, 2016; June 27, 2016; June 3, 2016; August 31, 2015; June 26, 2015

I’ll admit- I’m a little disappointed we didn’t see a new hat on Queen Margrethe in Argentina this week (I was REALLY hoping we would). The hat’s that did make the journey for this visit are familiar repeats but still solid choices. What are your thoughts about Margrethe’s hats this week?

Photos from Getty as indicated