Tag Archives: Countess of Wessex

Monday Multiples: Countess of Wessex

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Royal HatsThe Countess of Wessex has stepped out in an elegantly draped collar, pale Armani coat on numerous occasions, four with different hats:

Look 1: with a Jane Taylor rounded pillbox hat in leopard print velour felt trimmed with a flat black bow on the side, worn on Christmas Day, 2014

  

Look 2: with a pheasant feather covered beret cocktail hat for Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015

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Look 3: with an angular, tall burgundy felt Philip Treacy cloche with flying bow on December 27, 2015 for church at Sandringham

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Look 4: with a Hicks & Brown casual camel felt fedora with overlapping pheasant feather hatband worn on December 23, 2019, again for church at Sandringham

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It’s an interesting quartet of hats- which look do you think pairs best?

Photo from Getty as indicated;  Splash News, ADavidson/GoffPhotos.com/Splash News and GoffPhotos.com/Splash News via Corbis

British Royals Attend Church

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Queen Elizabeth attended Sunday service this morning at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene close to her Sandringham estate, accompanied by several members of her family. For this outing, she repeated a pale yellow hat with straw brim, bound in a contrasting grey stripe, and feather pouf trim.

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Many of us have previously praised this hat’s colour scheme – that grey stripe of brim binding sets it off so beautifully – and I’ve come around to its mix of textures (fabric on the crown, straw on the brim), which give some soft contrast to the design.

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Designer: Angela Kelly. Made by Stella McLaren.
Previously Worn: Feb 10, 2019; Mar 14, 2017; December 2, 2016; June 26, 2015

The Countess of Wessex wore the same camel felt fedora with overlapping pheasant feather hatband she wore to church last Sunday, pairing it with a slightly different beige coat and animal pint silk scarf.

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The ensemble is saved by the patterned scarf and hat’s feather hatband, which give some interest to an ensemble that is, to quote one of my favourite comments of all time here on the blog, “It’s a whole lot of biscuit.”.

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Designer: Suffolk Fedora in Camel from Hicks & Brown. Max Mara coat.
Previously Worn: Dec 22, 2019; Aug 25, 2019; Dec 23, 2018; May 14, 2018

Princess Anne’s tan felt trilby with side spray of pheasant feathers and darker brown ribbon hatband is the most mysterious hat worn today. The shape is something we’ve seen on Anne before and one she wears very well.

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Anne first wore during her August stay at Balmoral, a week after debuting a very similar (slightly darker) brown trilby trimmed with a side bow. It’s always interesting to see two similar hats added to one’s millinery wardrobe (I’ve searched Anne’s archive back to the 1960s to see if this one was previously worn) and this pair of brown trilbies is so close, it has me scratching my own head.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: Sep 1, 2019

I’m afraid today’s church hats weren’t very exciting- what do you think of this brown and yellow trio?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

British Royals Celebrate Christmas- Part II

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After a brief Christmas Day break here at Royal Hats, we continue  with hats worn by remaining members of the British Royal Family to attend Christmas Morning Service at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene near Sandringham. The Countess of Wessex topped her oatmeal coat with a burgundy velvet padded bandeau headpiece trimmed with a birdcage veil.

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It’s a quieter millinery look for Sophie than we usually see her wear, although still very much on trend. The burgundy headpiece and purse brighten her neutral ensemble, giving it a festive pop of colour. Beyond that, there’s really not much to say.

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Designer: Jane Taylor It is the Velvet Small Moon Headband With Veil from AW 2019. Coat by Suzannah. 
Previously Worn: this headpiece is new

Lady Louise also joined in the current craze for bandeau headpieces with a braided design in muted pink velvet. It wouldn’t be my first choice to pair with her checked coat (one some of you might recognize as one previously worn by her mum) but I see the appeal of this piece, particularly for a young person, and Louise wears it well.

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Designer: unknown. Coat by Stella McCartney
Previously Worn: this headpiece is new

Princess Anne repeated her deep purple felt fedora with deeply creased crown and extended brim, which raises around the back, trimmed with a twisted bow and curling feathers on the side. The scale and colour of the hat are great on her and pull her ensemble forward, counter balancing the oddly large 70s referencing lapels on her coat.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: Dec 30, 2018; Aug 26, 2018; March 16, 2018  

The Countess of Snowdon was also in purple, her heather-hued felt fedora trimmed with a pale Petersham ribbon hatband and a large spray of pheasant feathers on the side. Serena’s style is an effortlessly glamorous one and this hat falls in line with this aesthetic, wonderfully pairing her chic hat and pink tweed coat for an unexpected but stylish pairing.

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Designer: Jess Collett. It is The Cheltenham from AW 2019
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

Lady Margarita-Armstrong Jones joined the bandeau trend in a deep teal silk velvet padded bandeau embroidered with sprays of red and gold beaded leaves in a criss-cross pattern and topped with a a birdcage veil. You can see more detailed views of the design from the milliner’s portfolio here and here.

 

Designer: Jess Collett. It is the Bardot Hairband from AW 2019
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new.

Lady Sarah Chatto, who is visible behind Prince George in the photos below, repeated a navy felt hat with squared crown and wide cartwheel brim. The hat is finished with a slim hatband and small ribbon bow at the front; it follows the elegantly streamlined millinery style Sarah favours and carries off so well.

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Designer: Stephen Jones custom version of ‘Facetime’ from Miss Jones AW 2019
Previously Worn: Dec 25, 2017

That wraps up this year’s British royal Christmas Day hats- which ones stood out most to you?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Countess of Wessex Presides Over Sandhurst Parade

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The Duchess of Wessex braved a very windy morning in Camberley today to represent The Queen as the Reviewing Officer at The Sovereign’s Parade at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. For this event, she braved the elements in a new black felt pillbox hat.

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The hat’s classic shape is a more traditional choice for the Countess than we usually see her wear but I really like it-  its scale is perfect on her and the slightly flared shape gives lift to the design and frames her face in a lovely way. While I do appreciate the bolder, more daring designs that Sophie has favored in recent years, she carries this classic design so beautifully, it’s nice to see her change things up.

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Designer: presumably Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: This hat is new

What do you think of Sophie’s new hat?

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Photos from Getty as indicated 

British Royals Attend Memorial At Westminster Abbey

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The Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duke of Cambridge, Earl and Countess of Wessex, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence and Prince Michael of Kent attended a service of thanksgiving today at Westminster Abbey, celebrating the life of Sir Donald Gosling. The Duchess of Cornwall wore a new hat for the occasion, a wide brimmed design in navy brushed felt with off-center peaked crown and gently sweeping upturn on one side. The hat is simply, but dramatically, trimmed with a wide navy ostrich feather wrapped around the crown.

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While it’s a millinery look we’ve seen on Camilla many times before, I think this design is elevated by the rich, deep nape of the felt (velour felt, I’m guessing), its wonderfully saturated hue and THAT feather, which has luxurious texture of its own.

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Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: This hat is new

For this memorial, the Countess repeated an impeccably made bumper-edged pillbox hat covered in dark blue crepe and trimmed with a net veil.

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The colour and silhouette is lovely on Sophie and I like how she’s placed the veil a little higher around the center of her face than on its last outing. We don’t talk enough about how jewelry can set off a hat, as these angular amber earrings do here, their strong and sleek lines working so well against similar ones on the hat. It’s a strong, bold that still fits this reflective memorial occasion and Sophie wears it so well.

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Designer: Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: June 20, 2019

What do you think of this hat today, on its second outing?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Countess of Wessex’s Christmas Hats

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This Christmas is the Countess of Wessex’s 20th Christmas as a member of the British Royal Family. Over the past two  decades, she has worn a fascinatingly diverse array of hats to church on Christmas Day at Sandringham:

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Green felt top hat with raised pleated brim in 1999; Ecru folded brimless hat with black curled quills in 2000

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Camel split crown felt cloche with bow in 2001; Prim navy domed pillbox with burgundy feathers in 2002

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Chocolate felt wide-brimmed Philip Treacy sidesweep with leaf trim in 2003; Repeat of the camel felt cloche in 2004

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Black felt sidesweep with feather flower in 2005; Burgundy humped crown cloche in 2006. Both by Philip Treacy.

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Textured straw beret in 2008; Red felt beaded flower headpiece in 2009. Both by Rachel Trevor Morgan

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Purple button percher with jewel trimmed ruffle in 2010; Navy beaded felt pillbox in 2011. Both by Jane Taylor

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Chocolate felt cut leaf headpiece in 2012; Beaded black button percher with flying bow in 2013;
Leopard print felt pillbox with flat black bow in 2014. All by Jane Taylor

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Grey felt percher with jinsin twistl in 2015. Black laser-cut percher with raw-edge crin in 2016. Both by Jane Taylor

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 Navy felt leaf headpiece in 2017; Black crushed velvet percher with birdcage veil in 2018. Both by Jane Taylor

This mix includes extremes from classic to unconventional, restrained to exaggerated, familiar to experimental. I can’t say I’d choose many of these hats for myself but I find myself drawn in to many of them for a closer look- they are fascinating!  It’s this bravery, versatility and unpredictability that makes Sophie’s millinery so much fun to follow. What hats here stand out most to you?

Photos from Chris Jackson, Chris Jackson via Getty; Splash News/Corbis; Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock; Getty as indicated 

British Royals Commemorate Remembrance Sunday

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Members of the British Royal Family joined veterans, military servicepeople, members of government and civilians for a Remembrance Ceremony held yesterday morning at The Cenotaph, in Whitehall.

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The Prince of Wales, who placed wreaths on The Cenotaph of behalf of his mother, was joined by the Princess Royal, the Dukes of Cambridge, Sussex, York, and Kent and the Earl of Wessex, all in military uniform.

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Queen Elizabeth, who watched the service from a Whitehall balcony for the third year, repeated a black straw hat with silk crepe covered crown and binds the upturned kettle brim. The hat is simply trimmed with a stripe of black silk which circles the crown, anchored by two covered buttons in the font.

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Designer: Angela Kelly, made by Stella McLaren
Previously Worn: June 27, 2017; Nov 8, 2015

The Duchess of Cornwall wore a new, brimless hat. The design follows an oversize helmet (or mushroom top?) shape with gently rounded edges. The curved lines of the hat are dramatically accentuated with a mass of overlapping black feathers that circle around it.

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Designer: Philip Treacy. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new

The Duchess of Cambridge also wore a new, brimless hat, her design built on a formed teardrop beret base with gentle crease down the center which gives it a gentle curve. The hat is beautifully trimmed with black braid ‘frog’ fasteners and corresponding beaded buttons which, along with the embroidered and tassel trimmed swags on her coat, give a thoughtful military nod to the day.

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Designer: Philip Treacy. Coat by Catherine Walker
Previously Worn: this hat is new

The Duchess of Sussex wore a streamlined black felt hat with wide cartwheel brim. The straight sides of the hat’s crown elevate its sophistication, as does its slim hatband, tied in front in an elegantly austere bow.

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Designer: Stephen Jones’ ‘Facetime’ from AW 2019 Miss Jones Collection. Coat by Stella McCartney. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new

The Countess of Wessex wore a black felt perching saucer hat trimmed with a large bow. A subtle swirl on the inside of the saucer (created through hand shaping) gives lovely movement to the design.

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Designer: Jane Taylor. It is the ‘Black Felt Hat With Bow’ from AW 2019. 
Previously Worn: this hat is new

Princess Alexandra and the Duchess of Gloucester usually attend this event but so far, do not appear in any photographs (I’ll update the post if they do). In the meantime, there are some beautiful new hats here to admire.

Photos from Getty as indicated