Royal Hats this Year: Great Britain Part 1

Royal Hats Year In Review 2014The most prolific hat-wearing royal house (by far!) are the British Royals. As such, we need to break our review of their hats into three posts. First up are members of the extended British royal family. As with other 2014 Review posts, please click on each photo to link to the original post on each hat, complete with additional views, larger photos and detailed information. Here are all the hats worn by members of the extended British royal family in 2014:

The Duchess of Gloucester

1. Duchess of Gloucester, May 21, 2014 | Royal Hats 2. Duchess of Gloucester, June 10, 2014 | Royal Hats 3. Duchess of Gloucester, June 16, 2014 | Royal Hats 4. Duchess of Gloucester, June 17, 2014 | Royal Hats 5. Duchess of Gloucester, June 18, 2014 | Royal Hats 6. Duchess of Gloucester, November 9, 2014 | Royal Hats

Lady Gabriella Windsor and Lady Frederick Windsor

7. Lady Gabriella Windsor, June 7, 2014 | Royal Hats 8. Lady Gabriella Windsor, September 11, 2014 | Royal Hats 9-10. Lady Gabriella Windsor and Lady Frederick Windsor, June 14, 2014 | Royal Hats

Princess Michael of Kent

11. Princess Michael of Kent, June 7, 2014 | Royal Hats 12. Princess Michael of Kent, June 14, 2014 | Royal Hats 13. Princess Michael of Kent, August 4, 2014 | Royal Hats 14. Princess Michael of Kent, September 7, 2014 | Royal Hats

15. Princess Michael of Kent, September 11, 2014 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats 16. Princess Michael of Kent, October 18, 2014 | Royal Hats 17. 2014-12-19 Ben Goldsmith wedding

 Lady Helen Taylor

18. Lady Helen Taylor, June 14, 2014 in Stephen Jones | Royal Hats 19. Lady Helen Taylor, June 20, 2014 in Stephen Jones | Royal Hats

Countess of St. Andrews (20-21), Lady Marina Windsor (22) and Zenouska Mowatt (23)

20. 2014-06-14 Trooping 57 21. 2014-06-19 Ascot Day 4 14 22.Marina Windsor, June 14, 2014 in Yvette Jelfs| Royal Hats  23.Zenouska Mowatt, June 14, 2014 in Jane Taylor| Royal Hats

Princess Alexandra of Kent

24. Princess Alexandra of Kent, February 11, 2014 | Royal Hats 25. Princess Alexandra of Kent, June 3, 2014 | Royal Hats 26. Princess Alexandra of Kent, June 7, 2014 | Royal Hats

27. Princess Alexandra of Kent, June 12, 2014 | Royal Hats 28. Princess Alexandra of Kent, June 14, 2014 | Royal Hats 29. Princess Alexandra of Kent, July 10, 2014 | Royal Hats

30. Princess Alexandra of Kent, October 31, 2014 | Royal Hats 31. Princess Alexandra of Kent, November 11, 2014 | Royal Hats 32. Princess Alexandra of Kent, November 20, 2014 | Royal Hats

Do any of these hats make the cut for your nomination as favourite royal hat of 2014? Are any among your least favourite?

Please click on each photo to link back to the original post with additional information and photo sources

British Royal Extended Family at Trooping the Colour

After looking at hats worn by the Queen’s children and grandchildren for Trooping the Colour, let’s close out coverage of this colourful event with a look at the hats worn by the extended British Royal Family.

Princess Alexandra wore a dove grey hat with high, moulded crown and wide brim. The crown was wrapped in a three braided cords which opened to tie into a multi-corded bow at the front. It’s an interesting that that falls a little flat for me, especially after seeing Alexandra in that beautiful sky blue picture hat last week. I think this Kent princess looks prettiest in millinery with a bit more colour.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: I suspect Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: June 4, 2009June 19, 2006; this unknown event

The Countess of St. Andrews (below, far right) repeated her navy straw beret topped with a large pouf of tulle and feathers.

Countess of St. Andrews, June 14, 2014 | Royal Hats

The Duchess of Gloucester repeated her navy straw beret (below, right) while the Countess of Ulster topped her navy dress with a magenta brimless cocktail hat. Zenouska Mowatt looked wonderful in Jane Taylor’s ‘Eliza’ hat, described by the designer as an “elegant straw upturn disc with angular lace printed feathers and delicate rolled organdy bow”.  Lady Marina Windsor wore a large pale pink saucer hat with rolled top rim and a spray of flowers under the top brim.

Duchess of Gloucester, Countess of Ulster, Zenouska Mowatt and Amelia Windsor, June 14, 2014 | Royal Hats

There was no vibrancy missing in Lady Helen Taylor’s ensemble. She topped her modern magenta and raspberry suit with a matching stacked brimless hat trimmed in tulle net tails. While my description does this hat great injustice, I thought it was unusual, creative and exceptionally striking on fashion-forward Helen. This is not a hat I would pick to top most royal heads but I loved it all the same.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Stephen Jones
Previously Worn: I believe this is a new hat

Princess Michael of Kent combined two of her favourite millinery looks in this ice blue giant pillbox trimmed with what appears to be a giant ostrich feather at the back. I thought the feather added some softness to the hat and made its scale work to greater success. With her caped coat, the whole look was very glamorous, dramatic and oh-so Marie Christine.

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Designer: unknown. John Boyd
Previously Worn: I think this is a new hat

Princess Michael’s daughter and daughter-in-law wore a pair of beautiful picture hats. Lady Gabriella Windsor wore a pale picture hat with wide brim trimmed with spiky pale grey bow tails. It is a dramatic hat that worked well with Gabriella’s modern ensemble. Lady Frederick Windsor wore a white lampshade style hat trimmed with an oversize white bow. This hat has potential to look overly sweet but when paired with tSophie’s tailored pale blue coat dress, it provided a feminine contrast.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Designer of Lady Gabriella’s hat: Philip Treacy. I believe this is a new hat
Designer of Lady Frederick’s hat: unknown. I think this is also a new hat

Lady Sarah Chatto also joined the Royal Family for their appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Saturday. She repeated a cream saucer hat that looks simultaneously modern and classic on her. I particularly liked its pairing with her sunny patterned yellow skirt.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer of Lady Sarah’s hat: Stephen Jones
Previously Worn: April 20, 2013June 5, 2012June 10, 2011

All in all, a fantastic day of British royal hats, don’t you think?

Photos Getty as indicated

Royals at the Kentucky Derby

Royal Hats This weekend is the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby. While I don’t believe any royals are expected at Churchill Downs this year, there have been a number who have enjoyed this famous event in the past.

Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor in 2013

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Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein in 2009

2009-05-02 Kentucky Derby

Queen Elizabeth  and the Duke of Edinburgh in 2007

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Lord Snowdon and Princess Margaret at the 100th Kentucky Derby 40 years ago, May 4, 1974

Princess Margaret, May 4, 1974

My research shows that Prince Albert of Monaco attended the Derby in 2002 and his father, Prince Rainier, attended in 1963 although I was not able to find photographs of them at the event. My favourite hat in this bunch is the straw hat Sophie wore last year (I am such a sucker for a classic straw picture hat). Queen Elizabeth’s lime and fuchsia combination hat also looks adorable and very festive.

I am not planning to cover celebrities at this year’s races- if you want to share crazy hats from this event with each other, feel free to post them in the comments here.

Photos from Getty as indicated; Neil Leifer and Lexington Herald-Leader via Getty