Tag Archives: Princess Akiko

This Week’s Extras

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I need to step away from Royal Hats from Monday until the end of the month for some ‘real’ work focus and travel. I’ve planned a series on past Ascot hats and ask again that in my absence, you all share whatever new hats are worn each day in the comments of these flashback posts. I promise to be back soon!  

On Monday, the Imperial family marked the 30th anniversary of Emperor Showa’s death at Musashino Imperial Mausoleum in Hachiōji, Tokyo. Empress Michiko, Princess Kiko, Princess Akiko, Princess Hisako and Princess Tsuguko all wore black hats. The Imperial Crown prince and princess marked this anniversary at the Imperial Palace, Princess Masako in an ecru silk covered hat with high, upturned Breton brim.

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Zara Tindall posed with her husband, Mike on Monday, holding a pink straw sun hat.

On Wednesday, Crown Princess Victoria visited Livgardet (The Life Guards) in Kungsängen in a military green beret.

Also on Wednesday, Princess Sofia was photographed in a pink sun hat at a polo match in Florida where she, Prince Carl Gustaf, and the King and Queen are on holiday, visiting Princess Madeleine and her family.
The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Winter white beautifully embellished bandeau by Ukrainian milliner Elena Martynenko
Adore this pink straw percher with exuberant ostrich pompom by Australian milliner Meg Rafter
Forrest green velvet felt trilby with slim pale blue hatband by British milliner Bundle MacLaren
Honey orange straw percher with silk roses, veil & burnt feathers by London-based Turkish milliner Merve Bayindir
Blush straw dramatic sidesweep with pale grey looped rings from Irish milliner Aiofe Harrison
Prim Mary Poppins inspired embellished straw boater by British brand Frase Annand Millinery
I’m not usually partial to a bowler hat but adore this vibrant and fresh take on the bowler  by Italian brand Borsalino
Lovely blue straw kokoshnik bandeau with veil and white leather flowers by British milliner Justine Bradley-Hill
Amazing citrus branch headpiece by Australian milliner Rebecca Share that won top prize at Magic Millions Raceday

And from Australian milliner Danica Erard, this vibrant pink straw saucer with flying red bow around the front brim.

The Danish Royal Court shared this charming portraits of Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent to celebrate their eighth birthday.
How sweet is this snap, shared by their mum, of Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella of Monaco returning to school after Christmas break?
Great view of London from the cockpit of a helicopter, flown from Kensington Palace to The Royal London Hospital by the Duke of Cambridge to celebrate the London Air Ambulance’s 30th anniversary.

Photos from Getty and social media as indicated 

Imperial New Year’s Lectures 2019

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Members of the Imperial family attended the annual Imperial New Year’s Lectures today at the Imperial Royal Palace in Tokyo.

While the Empress did not wear a hat (as hostess of the event in her home), the Imperial princesses all followed the traditional daytime court dress code (gowns and hats) which continues to be used for this event.  
This event brings us a rainbow of Imperial royal millinery and this year was no different:
Princess Kiko: navy straight-sided pillbox she wore to this same event in 2014
Princess Mako: turquoise silk bumper/pillbox with back bow she wore for the 2018 New Year’s poetry readings
Princess Nobuko: oxblood rounded pillbox with side feather I suspect is new
Princess Akiko: pink silk calot previously worn for the 2016 poetry readings and 2015 New Year’s lectures
Princess Yoko: ice blue silk straight-sided silk pillbox she wore to this event in 2015 and in 2014 
Princess Hisako: purple velvet bumper hat with ostrich feather pompomworn for the 2013 & 2015 poetry readings
Princess Tsuguko: repeated cream or pale yellow hat with very short, kettle brim and feather trim 
It’s difficult to tell based on this view (jump back to previous wearings) but what hats stand out to you most?
Photos from social media as indicated

Imperial Royals Celebrate Emporer’s 85th Birthday

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Emperor Akihito marked his 85th birthday yesterday with an annual greeting from the Imperial Palace balcony and a special birthday lunch which included members of the extended Imperial royal family.

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While the Empress did not wear a hat (as other monarchs usually do not when hosting an event in their home), Crown Princess Masako wore a matching midnight blue velvet ruched dress and bumper hat. The same bugle bead embroidery on the cuffs and collar of the dress trims one side of the hat, adding a lovely bit of sparkle against the dark colour which is glorious on Masako.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: While very similar to this hat, I believe this is new

The ladies of the Akishino family wore a trio of calot hats, all which I think are new. Princess Kiko’s royal blue design features a cuff and bow (or butterfly) trim at the side while Princess Mako’s narrower design (a bandeau-calot hybrid) in pale seafoam green silk is trimmed with pale pink roses on the side. Princess Kako completed the trio in a pale aqua silk covered calot with cuff brim and silk floral trim at the side.

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Princess Hisako and Princess Tsuguko of Takamado and Princess Nobuko, Princess Akiko and Princess Yoko of Mikasa joined the family for a celebration lunch, all of them in brimless pillbox or bumper designs. Princess Hisako stood out in a vibrant blue feather trimmed bumper hat previously worn to the 2014 annual New Year’s Poetry Reading. Princess Tsuguko repeated her peach silk covered bumper hat trimmed with large abstract leaves in the same hue (worn for the New Year Poetry Reading last January). Princess Nobuko’s hat, in pale celery green, features a bumper brim that overlaps on one side and a crown covered in the same lace as the bodice of her gown. Princess Akiko’s pale yellow bumper hat is lavishly trimmed with what looks like a large silk flower and net ruffles in the back while Princess Yoko repeated the textured salmon pink pillbox trimmed with chevron stripes of ostrich feathers that she wore for the New Year’s Poetry Reading in 2016. 


It’s wonderful to see most of the Imperial royal family in attendance for this celebration- the Emperor’s last before the throne is passed to Prince Naruhito in April. What do you think of these festive brimless hats yesterday in Japan?
Photos from Getty as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Princess Claire of Luxembourg in a blush felt fedora last weekend at the Grand Duchy’s annual Red Cross Bazaar. So chic!
Queen Margrethe in her blue beanie with black patent leather brim to present “The Queen’s Clock” military award.
Princess Marie Chantal shared these photos of Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and their five children enjoying a country weekend, all in tweed caps.
Queen Mathilde in a new, wide brimmed cranberry felt fedora with double folded ribbon hatband yesterday in Berlin. The design is the Felicia from Fabienne Delvigne (ironically, the first hat in the ‘caught my eye’ list below!)
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The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Beautiful purple blocked beret with stacked crown from Danish milliner Susanne Juul
Stunning yellow and pink spiky halo headpiece from Australian brand Love Lotus Millinery
For our gents- a very dapper black felt fedora with sharply stunning hatband from Irish milliner Philip Treacy

British milliner Stephen Jones has been sharing some of the 80 hats he’s made for Dior that are currently on exhibition in Paris, including his remake of the 1950s combination of millinery and suit silhouettes that deserve the label of ‘iconic‘. His remake of the Imperial State Crown, however, tops it all.

This Week’s Extras

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In all of last weekend’s Armistice centenary commemorations, I missed Queen Mathilde who wore a very smart new black felt hat by Fabienne Delvigne.
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Prince Carl Philip out for a fall walk with sons Alexander and Gabriel last weekend, all in casual hats
Wee Princess Elisabeth of Hanover in a sweet pink hair bow, photographed with her mother, Princess Ekatarina and Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece at the London opening of Marie-Chantal’s new children’s boutique
On Wednesday, Empress Michiko wore a lovely new pale pink saucer hat with lattice crin underbrim and floral trim to an event at the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center in Tokyo
Yesterday, Princess Akiko attended the 50th anniversary ceremony of the Professional Ski Instructors Association in a navy hat with wide plaid hatband.
Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Ingrid visited an Arctic research facility today in cosy hats 
King Mohammed opened a new high-speed rail line in Rabat this morning. He was joined by French President Macron on Thursday to inaugurate the railway that boasts the fastest journey times in Africa and the Arab world.
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The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Adore the colour on this burgundy felt fedora with wonderful feather trim from French milliner Anthony Peto
Black straw saucer with gold windowpane crin extended brim & bow from Latvian brand Rubina Millinery
Retro pillbox in vintage printed Pucci-esque fabric by Melbourne milliner Chris Mullane
Liquid silver calot with layered hanging chain trim from British milliner Victoria Grant
Dark green veiled headpiece in velvet, straw and crin from Irish brand Marc Millinery
Black straw teardrop percher with straw calla lily trim from London-based Turkish milliner Merve Bayindir
For you dear gents- this very smart navy felt trilby with natty hatband and feather trim from Stetson Europe
Elegant red felt sideswept brim hat with black flower & feathers from British milliner Rachel Trevor Morgan
Sparkling black bandeau headpiece with sequin floral trim from British milliner Justine Bradley-Hill
Stunning swirling gold feather headpiece from Australian brand Jack and Jill Millinery

And the loveliest red felt rose trimmed capulet hat (a cloche with upfolded brim around the front) from Czech milliner Jolana Kotabova

Don’t miss reading the marvelous toast given by the Queen to the Prince of Wales at his big birthday party on Wednesday night complete with puns and poignancy. British royal photographer extraordinaire Chris Jackson also shared this wonderful photo gallery of shots he has captured of Prince Charles over the years along with the fantastic pair of portraits took of the Wales family in the garden of Clarence House in summer. Lovely new portrait


Congratulations to Princess Theodora of Greece who announced her engagement to Los Angeles lawyer Matthew Kumar
We end the week with these sweet snaps, shared by Princess Charlene, of Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella’s first trip to Paris where they had tea with Madame Macron.

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