The Dutch monarchs continued the second day of their state visit to Norway with a program of events including a seminar on human rights, a visit with the Prime Minister, lunch at Akershus Castle and a reception aboard Dutch navy ship in Oslo harbor.
This ensemble is such a great sartorial flat for the House of Orange, the small scale headpiece balancing well against the strong looks of the dress and coat. I’ve said it before- while the calot shape is not my favourite, it serves good purpose for events like these, especially when the host queen elects not to wear a hat!
Queen Margrethe wore a new hat for the event, a brimmed design covered in the same denim blue fabric as her suit. A quartet of striped feathers bound in blue silk ribbon trim one side.
The colour and scale of this hat are lovely, as is its impeccable finishing- there is not a single visible stitch or pucker in the bias binding on the brim. I wish for more textural contrast in the overall ensemble (the look is improved by the addition of Queen Margrethe’s ivory coat) and would prefer the feathers were larger to give that hat a bit more visual punch. It’s a little sedate for me, as is.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima were greeted this morning by members of the Norwegian royal family for the start of a state visit to the Nordic nation.
The scale of the hat pairs well not only with Máxima’s voluminous dress but with the smaller scale hats typically worn by the Norwegian royal ladies. The combination of felt hat and silk dress is less cohesive, although an understandable choice for the current season and today’s rainy weather. I do admire how the neutral accessories let the dress and emerald earrings shine!
Queen Sonja repeated her chocolate and periwinkle blue felt hat with high, upturned brim embellished with ‘V’ cutouts. I’ve said this before- the hat, especially in combination with the chocolate dress, has a sci-fi vibe I find distracting and overly costumey. What I do like are the cutouts, a design element we seldom see but that is so visually effective.
Later in the Day, Queen Sonja changed into a different ensemble with brown velvet tam hat. Any day a royal embraces the opportunity to wear multiple hats is a great day! Tams are not trendily fashionable these days, a shame as the style and rich colour suit Sonja really well.
On Wednesday, Queen Máxima repeated her grass-green straw hat with upturned brim by Fabienne Delvigne during a visit she and the king made to Abu Dhabi.
Queen Maxima, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Sheikh Minister of Tolerence Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan pose in front of the Dutch pavilion at the World Expo 2020 on 4 November 2021 in Dubai. The royal couple opened the Dutch pavilion. pic.twitter.com/PVKveZ5hNd
— Queen Maxima and Royal Ladies (@vaninaswchindt) November 8, 2021
Princess Nobuko in a blue fabric covered hat on Thursday with a domed crown, upturned brim and bow trim for a meeting of the Japanese Red Cross in Iizuka.
On Friday, Princess Hisako wore a hat covered in oyster silk with feather spray and short upturned brim for the 130th anniversary of the Shizuoka City Red Cross. The fabric placement on the hat is very unique- do enlarge the photos below for a closer look!
November 5: Princess Hisako attended the 130th anniversary ceremony of Japanese Red Cross Society Shizuoka Chapter in Shizuoka City. 24 people received merit badges and activities, such as supporting Atami landslide victims, were reported. 📹 https://t.co/Lp6CxCv9fUpic.twitter.com/MQYlyfJj4c
And we end this exchange, that left the Princess Royal in stitches!
Are you the Queen?" asked Ryder, "No, the Queen is my mother" replied The Princess. "You're very beautiful…and very sexy!" said Ryder. There's a beauty to working with children, they'll come out with anything! This was an exchange between #HRH and one of our riders. pic.twitter.com/0M9mSN0xhw
The brim on this hat seems to have been smoothed out since previous outings, which is a good thing. The shape and scale are almost too familiar on the Dutch queen to discuss much except to say both continue to suit her! I am on the fence about the mixed greens in this ensemble and wonder if there’s too much blue in the green shade of the hat to pair well with the leaf green of the dress?
After the event, Queen Máxima’s entourage was notified that longtime fan Josée, who attends many of the Dutch queen’s working visits, is undergoing cancer treatment and won’t be able to attend often in future. The resulting exchange is quietly beautiful, Queen Máxima whispering in her ear, “I will miss you.”
“Ik ga u missen.” Koningin Máxima groet haar trouwste fan, die deze week een slechte boodschap kreeg. pic.twitter.com/WHczBSDItw
Royal Hats 