We conclude our look at the hats seen Saturday for Trooping the Colour with those worn by members of the Gloucester and Kent families. It’s always wonderful to see the Duchess of Kent at this event and rather disappointing there is not a better view of her hat to share. It looks to be a lavender pillbox, likely in straw, trimmed with a large spray of face-framing feathers on the side.

UPDATE- thanks to avid royal watcher and photographer Paul Ratcliffe for sharing this photo of the Duchess, just for us! This view confirms her hat is a high lavender textured straw bandeau, with feather trim framing the right side of her face. The colour is lovely on Katharine and the bandeau style suits her bobbed haircut really well. It’s a fresh and modern headpiece that proves cutting edge style is possible at any age!

Designer: I believe it is Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Lady Helen Taylor repeated the white homberg crowned ht with upswept brim and navy bow trim we saw her wear to this event last year, with an added red and fuchsia hued silk flower on the front of the hat. The addition of this flower transforms the hat (hiding the distinctive crown shape makes it appear to be a different style) and firmly ties the colour palate to Helen’s fuchsia printed dress. Seeing this transformation makes me wonder why we don’t see such minor millinery renovations on more royal hats! Helen’s sister-in-law, Lady Nicholas Windsor, wore a dusky pink straw button based percher hat trimmed with large silk roses and dotted net tulle veil.

Designer of Helen’s hat: Stephen Jones
Previously Worn:  June 17, 2017
Designer of Paola’s hat: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this is new

Lady Helen’s younger daughter, Estella Taylor, seen below on the far right, wore a button based cocktail hat in natural straw, trimmed with cream, ecru and grey fabric rosettes and a grey net tulle veil.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this is new

While Princess Alexandra and the Duchess of Gloucester were in attendance, they did not appear in any photographs.

UPDATE- Again, avid royal watcher and photographer Paul Ratcliffe comes to our rescue! My deepest thanks to Paul for posting these photos just for our benefit! Princess Alexandra repeated her dove grey straw with tall, flat crown and cartwheel brim trimmed with a large straw knotted bow and a swath of dotted net tulle overlaying the hat’s brim. The Duchess of Gloucester repeated her black pillbox with new addition of a black tulle veil.

Designer of Alexandra’s hat: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: June 6, 2009 and likely others
Designer of Brigitte’s hat: unknown. My guess is Lock and Co.
Previously Worn: March 19, 2013; June 20, 2011; Oct 9, 2009; June 03, 2006

Lady Rose Gilham was also in attendance on the Buckingham Palace balcony this year in a slate blue-grey vertical saucer hat trimmed with a bow and feathers.

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this is new

Julia Ogilvy, who recently graduated from the Harvard Divinity School, paired her dotted grey dress with a tall grey straw stovepipe hat with cartwheel brim trimmed with an exquisite spray of straw roses and leaves. Flora Ogilvy repeated the wide brimmed cream straw picture hat with square crown and large, layered side bow that she seems to have permanently appropriated from her mother’s millinery closet! And no wonder, as it’s a wonderful, classic and clearly versatile hat.

Designer of Julia’s hat: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this is new
Designer of Flora’s hat: unknown
Previously Worn: June 17, 2017; June 11, 2016; originally worn by Julia June 15, 2006

Zenouska Mowatt topped her vibrant pink, lilac, orange and white patterned dress with a textured white straw beret percher hat trimmed with curling white feathers and a pink and orange straw knotted flying bow. There’s a lot of texture going on in this piece and while I really like its idiosyncratic creativity, I’m not convinced it complements or relates enough with the dress to work well together.

Previously Worn: This hat is new

Princess Michael of Kent used the occasion to début a new hat. In almond straw, the design features a flat crown and wide, cartwheel brim and is simply trimmed with a wide straw hatband. Marie-Christine favours dramatic millinery statements and this one feels surprisingly sedate and traditional for her. It’s another versatile piece I think we’ll see again many times in years to come. 

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn:This hat is new

Lady Frederick Windsor topped her beautifully cut suit with an ecru straw vertical saucer hat trimmed with a cream feather lotus flower and slim, curling straw tails. The steep diagonal lines of the hat work so well with the similar line on the hem of Sophie’s jacket. This is not a hat I’d be drawn to on its own but with this suit, forms a really lovely ensemble.

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Designer: Siggi Hats. It is S18-459 from SS 2018. Suit from Catherine Walker
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Lady Gabriella Windsor wore a cream straw hat with angular crown and gently sideswept brim, trimmed with straw twists and a handful of white silk sweet peas. It’s a style, scale and colour of hat we’ve seen often on Gabriella but one that she carries so well. The open neck of her blue coat dress is a particularly effective compliment to the lines of the hat and the two pieces join to create a beautifully balanced look.