British Queen and Norwegian King Celebrate Anglo-Norse Society Centenary

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Queen Elizabeth and King Harald of Norway met in London this morning to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Anglo-Norse Society. For this event, Queen Elizabeth repeated the raspberry felt hat she first wore in Scotland in September, giving us the closer look at the design that we have been waiting for!

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This view confirms that the felt design features a molded crown with domed top and gently sidesweeping brim bound in the same wool crepe as the Queen’s suit. The coat fabric is repeated on a hatband and the hat is completed with a bouquet of hand cut felt leaves on the side which lend wonderful texture and movement to the design. There are a few surprises here- first is the mix of felt and fabric and how, in some light conditions, the two different materials show slightly different shades, giving some welcome subtle contrast to the design. The second, even bigger surprise is the jacket this hat accompanies- it’s not a coat! I’m not entirely sure about the waist tie on it but it’s great fun to see the Queen wearing something other than her usual dress-and-coat uniform- especially in such a glorious colour as this.

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Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: Sep 23, 2018
My fondness for this hat has grown immensely thanks to this closer view- what do you think of it today?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Swedish Royals Welcome Italian State Visit

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The Swedish King and Queen welcomed Italian President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter Laura yesterday for the start of a state visit. For the official welcome at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Queen Silvia wore a new hat.

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With a blocked peacock blue felt wave-shaped base, the hat is trimmed with a grey diamond woven veil and a ruffled flower made of grey felt and grey and blue silk. The gentle curves of the base frame Silvia’s head so beautifully and the combination of trim adds another layer of softness. I particularly love the pop of blue to contrast against her exquisite silver grey suit- it’s a good look for her.


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Designer: Kerstin Carlefalk
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Crown Princess Victoria wore another one of her go-to headpieces, this one in pale blue. While a good look of this headpiece evades me, we can see it has a straw twist, some feathers and some ruffled silk flowers. Unlike anything else she’s worn before, I suspect this headpiece was specifically chosen to pair with Victoria’s beautiful lace dress.

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Designer: unknown. Dress by Malina
Previously Worn: I think this headpiece is new

Princess Sofia also wore a blue headpiece, this one a silk knotted bandeau. The scale and colour suit Sofia very well (it’s so nice to see her in more saturated colour!) and

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Designer: Eivy Flodin. Dress by Hugo Boss.
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

Laura Mattarella’s burgundy felt pillbox with interesting wired bow at the bottom also deserves some attention here- the use of felt to contrast with her velvet dress is really good, as is that wired bow, which gives a fresh and unexpected twist to the classic shape. It’s really good on her. 

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I can’t imagine the choice of blue on all the royal ladies was coincidental- together, they make a well coordinated group. What do you think of these three new blue millinery designs yesterday in Stockholm?

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Photos from Getty and social media as indicated

Danish Queen Marks WWI Armistice

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On Sunday, Queen Margretheparticipated in a wreath laying ceremony in Mindeparken in Aarhus to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. For this event, she wore a new hat. Clearly made to match her finely woven plaid jacket, this wool design features a domed crown and short brim that curls up slightly around the front of the hat. Stacked hatbands in burgundy, chocolate and caramel trim the design and lend some punchy contrast while still linking with the colours of the fabric. It’s a matched look for certain, but paired with a houndstooth checked silk blouse and caramel skirt, the ensemble has enough contrast to keep it from looking overly matched (the dreaded ‘matchy-matchy’ territory!).

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Designer: Likely Peter Falk Hansen
Previously Worn: This hat is new
 I’m not often a fan of hats and jackets in the same fabric but I like this pair- what do you think of Margrethe’s new hat?
Photos from Getty as indicated

British Royals Attend Armistice Centenary Service

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Queen Elizabeth was joined by members of her family last night at Westminster Abbey for a service marking the 100th anniversary of the Armistice which ended WWI. For this service, she repeated I suspected might have headed into retirement- her purple felt stylised Homburg with layered purple and black hatbands and black velvet oak leaf trim.

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While the masculine hat shape isn’t my favourite, I’ve always loved this saturated purple on Her Majesty and admire how the black trim on the hat links with that splendid velvet coat collar. The brass buttons on the coat give a slight military nod, most fitting for this event,  and the overall look is good one. I had suspicions this hat had been sent into retirement but I’m very pleased to see it has not.

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Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: Dec 21, 2014; Nov 21, 2013; May 13, 2013; Feb 3, 2013; Nov 26, 2012; Oct 25, 2012; Nov 11, 2009 

The Duchess of Cornwall wore repeated a magnificent purple velvet felt boater hat with oblique crown and brim trimmed with double rows of raw-edged pleated silk and a spray of purple feathers. There’s so much to love here- colour, texture, sheen, presence, whimsy, shape, scale- I could go on and on. When a hat is done as well as this one, I’m happy to see it trotted out again.

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Duchess of Cambridge topped her green coat with a tall bandeau headpiece of black velvet.

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This is the third kokoshnik shaped bandeau we’ve seen on Kate in recent months and while I applaud her experimentation with new millinery styles, I think this is a difficult shape to wear. Yes, it frames the wearer’s features in a lovely way but it also exaggerates elongated oval-shaped faces like Kate’s and I’m just not sure it flatters. I think a royal hat should look good from all angles- some views of this bandeau (like the one below) are great but others (some of the side views above) show it to be a bit clunky and awkward. Far away views are lovely but close up…. I need help seeing it as something other than an oversize black banana.

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Designer: Jane Taylor. It is the “Velvet Headband” from AW 2018
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

Duchess of Sussex wore a black felt blocked beret hat with center ‘stem’. The connection between berets and the military make this hat style a fitting choice for this event; its pairing here with a navy suit makes for a fittingly solemn ensemble that’s a welcome step away from head-to-toe black. This hat is a simple and streamlined one that I might consider boring at another event but here, works well.

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Designer: My guess is Stephen Jones
Previously Worn: This hat is new
I’ve often commented about the challenges that memorial events such as these pose to royal fashion and thought the use of deep, jewel tones seen here hit a brilliantly appropriate balance. What do you think of this quartet of hats yesterday at Westminster Abbey?
Photos from Getty as indicated

British Royals Commemorate Remembrance Day & WWI Armistice Centenary

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As this year’s Remembrance Sunday coincided with the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI, special consideration (and royal attendance) surrounded this commemoration. A ceremony at the Cenotaph at Whitehall, in central London, occurred as it does each year, led by the Prince of Wales. He was joined by the Dukes of Cambridge, Sussex, York and Kent, the Princess Royal, the Earl of Wessex and Prince Michael of Kent, all in military uniform with respective caps of their rank.

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Queen Elizabeth, who watched the service from a Whitehall balcony for the second time, wore a new hat in black felt. The design features an upturned kettle brim and tall molded crown, the top of which looks to be off the same block as Angela Kelly’s split crown hats. The hat is simply trimmed with a layered leather and felt hatband which circles the crown midway, finishing at the front in a looped knot. The streamlined embellishment works well on this design to balance the slightly awkward shape of the crown’s top.

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

The Duchess of Cornwall repeated her large black black felt hat with flyaway raised brim edged in a wide band of bias-woven ribbon. It’s still a dramatic statement piece for her with the most magnificently sleek lines.

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Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: Dec 25, 2016;  Nov 13, 2016; Dec 25, 2015

The Duchess of Cambridge wore a new hat which, interestingly is a winter felt version of this straw hat already in her wardrobe. The lines of this design, with extended brim around the upswept back of the design are particularly lovely and beautifully punctuated with the slim binding around the brim. The choice of a single curling quill for trim is also the right one for this hat- overall, it’s an elegant piece that, I think, will be a good addition to Kate’s millinery collection.

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Designer: Lock and Co. It is a bespoke version of the Abney from AW 2018. Coat is Alexander McQueen.
Previously Worn: This hat is new

The Duchess of Sussex wore a black percher hat with bumper shaped base, trimmed with a single-looped side bow. These smaller profile millinery designs suit Meghan well and I really like the textural difference between the velvet felt of the hat and the silk wool of her coat. Large base button perchers sometimes read as a bit boring and the cuffed, bumper shape of this one has a slight military nod that fits this event very well.

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Designer: unknown (my guess is Stephen Jones). Coat by Givenchy
Previously Worn: This hat is new

The Countess of Wessex’s modified saucer hat features a shallow button crown and wide brim and is trimmed with a large silk bow that drapes over half of the design. The sharply upswept angle that the hat’s base (visible in the third photo in the gallery below) places it on the head is key here- without it, I suspect the hat might read a bit 1980s twee but the elevated position keeps the piece looking modern and fresh.

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The Countess of Wessex wore this hat later in the day when she and Prince Edward attended the Welsh National Service of Thanksgiving at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff.

Designer: Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: This hat is new. 
After the Cenotaph service, other royal family members traveled also to other services marking the Armistice centenary held around the United Kingdom. Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence attended the Scottish Commemorative Service at Glasgow Cathedral where Princess Anne repeated her black percher hat with net veil-overlaid round button base trimmed with a crescent of pointed black feathers. The percher style is a fairly new one for Anne but one I hope she continues to embrace as it works particularly well to modernize and soften her hairstyle.
Designer: Amy Morris-Adams
Previously Worn: Nov 10, 2017; Oct 4, 2017; Jun 27, 2017
The Duke and Duchess Gloucester attended the Armistice Day Service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, the Duke in a black bowler hat and the Duchess in a lovely new peacock blue felt pillbox with domed crown. The colour of this piece is wonderful on Brigitte and pairs so well with her navy coat to create an overall ensemble that is a little punchier than we usually see at such memorial events but still perfectly appropriate. 


Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Finally, the Prince of Wales attended a Remembrance Service at the Guards’ Chapel at Wellington Barracks. The Prince, who is Colonel of the Welsh Guards Regiment, wore a traditional regimental bowler hat.

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Several family members also attended a service at Westminster Abbey commemorating the centenary of the WWI Armistice- we’ll look at those hats in a post coming up first thing tomorrow morning. For now, what do you think of this first round of hats we saw worn for Remembrance Day yesterday?
Photos from Getty and social media as indicated