Tag Archives: Duchess of Sussex

Tindall Christening

Posted on by

I’m a bit torn about posting this event as it was a private one… but my love for Zara’s hat is spurring me forward so here goes. Members of the British royal family gathered at St Nicholas Church in Cherington, Gloucestershire, yesterday for the christening of Mike and Zara Tindall’s second daughter, Lena. Zara wore a wonderful magenta felt teardrop percher hat trimmed with a large stylized flower with trailing petals and centered with a button. I adore the bright pop of colour, particularly coordinated with her fantastic shoes.

Designer: Bridget Robbins (The Cotswold Milliner). It is the “Elizabeth” design.
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Queen Elizabeth repeated her ecru, pink and pale blue woven silk wool coat and hat with diagonal crown, trimmed with delicate wired sequin flower trim. Yesterday’s grey skies don’t show the beautiful dimension and shades of blue and pink that shine through this fabric (jump over to previous wearings to see how lovely it is).

Designer: Angela Kelly. Made by Stella McLaren.
Previously Worn: Aug 19, 2018; May 9, 2017;  Feb 28, 2017; Sep 11, 2016; Sep 6, 2015; May 20, 2015; Dec 30, 2014, Apr 30, 2013

Princess Anne topped her camel coat with a two toned straw hat trimmed in feathers. I suspect this may be a remodeled version of the hat below we’ve seen Anne wear a few times- the toast hued crown and cream sideswept brim appear to be the same colours and shapes- with a changeover of feather trim. We’ll have to wait for a better look at this hat to verify if it’s a remodel (something Anne seldom does) or an entirely new design.

UPDATE- This was (surprisingly), a new hat for Princess Anne! See it at its next outing on April 22, 2019 for a much better view.


Embed from Getty Images

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: this hat is new

Autumn Phillips repeated a black velour felt beret base percher hat trimmed with looped bow and feather. It’s a good counterpoint for Autumn’s vibrant blue coat, the dark hue grounding the look and the smaller footprint of the brimless design pairing well with the oversized collar. Dressing in between seasons can be tough and this look, like Zara’s, combines some spring colour with winter practicality for a stylish look. It’s also lovely to see that Savannah and Isla Phillips and big sister Mia Tindall were included in the day’s events.

Designer: Whiteley. Karen Millen coat.
Previously Worn: Aug 26, 2018

The Duchess of Sussex repeated her black felt formed beret hat. The simple design isn’t terribly exciting but well-suited to a private, family event in the country such as this.

Designer: I suspect Stephen Jones. Coat is 1960s Dior by Marc Bohan Haute Couture.
Previously Worn: Nov 11, 2018

Thoughts about the hats at this lovely family event yesterday?

Photos from Getty as indicated

British Royals In New Hats For Commonwealth Day

Posted on by

Members of the British Royal Family celebrated their wider Commonwealth family today, attending the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey today as they have in years past. The Queen led her family in her repeated her royal purple felt hat with square crown, upfolded kettle brim and dark purple velvet hatband with updated dark purple silk flower trim.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

It’s good to see the updated trim in closer detail here- the purple silk flowers create a more refined overall look that ties beautifully with the coat’s velvet trim and the starkness the former white irises gave to the look has disappeared.

UPDATE: Looking at this hat side by side with its original version, it seemed that more was changed than just the trim but confirmation from the hatmaker herself that the crown height is unchanged leaves me cursing at camera angles and the optical illusions they seem to have created here.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Angela Kelly. Made by Stella McLaren
Previously Worn: Jan 13, 2019; Oct 23, 2018; Mar 6, 2018; Dec 7, 2017; Nov 24, 2016

The Duchess of Cornwall was also in royal purple with a new, brimless hat. The helmet shape, with gently rounded edges, is trimmed with purple goose biot feathers.

Embed from Getty Images

We see Camilla in so many wide brimmed hats and it’s great to see her play with a brimless shape, particularly one as unusual as this. Is it my favourite design on her? No- I’m not a fan of its clunky mushroom shape but the colour is divine and the spiky feathers play down the helmet vibe well. Combined with Camilla’s stunning velvet coat, the overall look is rather regal- perhaps a case of ‘coat saves hat’ here?

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Philip Treacy. Bruce Oldfield dress and coat.
Previously Worn: This hat is new

The Duchess of Cambridge topped her red coat with a new felt raised saucer hat, simply trimmed with a stitched bow on the side. While it seems like a fine hat, the more I look at it, the less I like it. The bow, while beautifully stitched, errs a little toward twee territory and the design forces placement smack on the middle of the head, which doesn’t always pair well with Kate’s oval face. Maybe I just prefer the pillbox originally worn with this coat?

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Designer: I suspect custom Lock & Co. Coat by Catherine Walker. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new

The Duchess of Sussex topped her cream and green floral dress and cream coat with a cream pillbox/Fez. It’s the first hat of this shape we’ve seen on Meghan and while the colour contrasted beautifully against her hair, I’m less certain about the sharply angular lines of the hat, particularly with this ensemble. Something here, between the crisp hat, the textured coat and the flowing dress, feels out of balance. Too much cream, perhaps? Maybe a spray of green silk flowers and feathers on one side of this hat would do the trick?

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Other blogs are reporting it as a Jane Taylor felt design but a close look at the hat shows it is covered in fabric with a very fine textured stripe so I think it’s a bespoke design. Coat and dress by Victoria Beckham.
Previously Worn: This hat is new
These types of royal events, which trot out a parade of hats, are always enjoyable to see (and what a great kickoff to the Cheltenham races this week!)
Embed from Getty Images
Photos from Getty as indicated

Millinery Exhibition In Brighton Includes Royal Hats

Posted on by

A millinery exhibition of hats made by leading British milliner Stephen Jones over the past 40 years opened yesterday at The Royal Pavilion in Brighton.

 

Embed from Getty Images

Among the hats included in “Stephen Jones Hats at the Royal Pavilion” are at least four that we’ve seen step out on royal heads:

Embed from Getty Images
Princess Diana’s stitched camel tam with chocolate band and bow worn in Wales, November 1982
Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images
Princess Eugenie’s green straw percher with floral trim and flying leaves worn at Ascot, June 14, 2011
Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images
Lady Sarah Chatto’s navy textured straw picture hat with mushroom brim worn for the Sussex’s wedding, May 2018
Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images
The Duchess of Sussex’s ivory felt formed beret with stem worn to the Commonwealth Day Service, March 12, 2018
Embed from Getty Images

Stephen Jones’ millinery aesthetic defies a single style and pushes limits of creativity and art. His designs aren’t ones I would always describe as beautiful but they are always interesting. The exhibition will be open until June 9 and if you are able to attend, let me know. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the exhibit and, if you’re game, feature your visit here on Royal Hats. 
Photos from Getty and social media as indicated

British Royal Family Celebrate Christmas- Part 1

Posted on by

Members of the royal family spending Christmas in Norfolk joined Queen Elizabeth for traditional Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene Church. The Queen wore a new outfit and hat again this year in pale dove grey with fuchsia trim. The hat, covered in the same wool silk crepe as the coat, features an upturned kettle brim and flat crown and is trimmed with a wide fuchsia hatband and a large grey ostrich feather wrapped around design.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

I so want to like this hat but I’m afraid the dull colour and feather trim fall flat for me… not to mention the awfully distracting pink trim on the coat.

Embed from Getty Images

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

The Duchess of Cambridge looked festive in a burgundy velvet kokoshnik style headpiece. Kate has worn several hats of this design this year and while this one links around the back in a circle, the raised kokoshnik shape and fluted bow at the back save the headpiece from looking like an open crowned doughnut. The pairing of this hat with Kate’s stunning red coat and burgundy accessories works beautifully, especially for such an unexpected colour pairing.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Jane Taylor; it is a bespoke version of the “Halo” design from AW 2018. Coat by Catherine Walker
Previously Worn: This hat is new

The Duchess of Sussex also repeated one of her go-to hat shapes this fall, a formed beret in black felt. The blue ombre dipped goose feathers and black flying crin bow on this hat make for wonderful trimming, adding some life to the piece and bringing Meghan’s black and navy ensemble together. What a great new hat to add to her wardrobe (and from a new milliner, too!).

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Awon Golding. It is the “Vika” design from AW16/17. Coat from Victoria Beckham.
Previously Worn: This hat is new
What do you think of this trio of royal hats at Sandringham this morning? Make sure to also watch the Queen’s Christmas message this year- you can see it in full here. 
Embed from Getty Images
Photos from Getty as indicated

Inventory: Duchess of Sussex’s Black Hats

Posted on by

Black hats are a staple in every royal millinery wardrobe and it’s no surprise that less than a year into her royal working life, the Duchess of Sussex already has several:

1.Embed from Getty Images   2.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Stephen Jones; Philip Treacy
Introduced: Apr 25, 2018; Apr 25, 2018

3.Embed from Getty Images  4.Embed from Getty Images  5.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Philip Treacy; unconfirmed; unconfirmed (I suspect both are Stephen Jones)
Introduced: Aug 4, 2018; Nov 11, 2018; Nov 11, 2018

UPDATE- Since this post was published, the Duchess has added the following hats:

6.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Awon Golding
Introduced: Dec 25, 2018

This is the first inventory we’ve started for Meghan and I’m curious about your thoughts. At first glance, it’s not the most exciting of hat collections but black hats seldom are. I appreciate some of the small details here- that marvelous beaded dragonfly on #2, the exuberant twists on #3 and even the luxe velvet texture of #4. No doubt we’ll see this group of hats grow over years to come but for now, what do you think?

Photos from Getty as indicated

British Royals Attend Armistice Centenary Service

Posted on by

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.

Embed from Getty Images

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.

Embed from Getty Images

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.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: Mar 13, 2017;  Oct 27, 2016; Mar 3, 2015; Mar 21, 2013; Dec 25, 2012; Mar 26, 2012; Mar 12, 2012; Oct 26, 2010;  Mar 8, 2010 

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

Embed from Getty Images

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.

Embed from Getty Images

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.

Embed from Getty Images
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

Posted on by

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.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images


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.

Embed from Getty Images

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.

Embed from Getty Images

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.

Embed from Getty Images

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.

Embed from Getty Images

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.

Embed from Getty Images
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: unknown
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.

Embed from Getty Images
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