Tag Archives: Princess Alexandra of Kent

British Royals Celebrate Battle of Britain

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Members of the British Royal Family gathered today to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The celebration, which saw all the remaining grandchildren of King George V together on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, included an enhanced Changing the Guard and military flypast. The Queen stood out in the lineup of royal military uniforms in a neon pink hat we have not seen her wear in five years. With an unusually pointed crown and upturned lattice brim, the hat is trimmed four large pink arrow feathers and a wide stripe of yellow binding on the brim. The hat’s colour scheme comes from the Queen’s printed dress (see it here and here) and while it coordinates well, I’m not a fan of both the bright colour and the creative shape.

 Queen Elizabeth, July 10, 2015 in Angela Kelly | Royal Hats Queen Elizabeth, July 10, 2015 in Angela Kelly | Royal Hats

Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: July 3, 2010

The Countess of Wessex repeated a celery green straw percher hat trimmed in a cream silk rose and a high mass of burnt feathers. Green is a great colour on her, isn’t it?

Designer: Philip Treacy. Dress by Emilia Wickstead
Previously Worn: June 13, 2011; June 15, 2009; June 18, 2008
Princess Alexandra repeated her sky blue hat with upturned brim on one side trimmed with a side looped bow and a swath of tulle. While difficult to see from these faraway photos today, the piece is such a lovely colour, shape and scale on her.  She recently débuted a twin to this hat- something we’ll look at closer next week.

Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: May 20, 2015; June 12, 2014
I suspect there may be some strong reactions to some of these hats and I can’t wait to hear them!
Photos from James Whatling/Splash News, James Whatling/Splash News, and James Whatling/Splash News via Corbis; Getty as indicated

Second Day of Royal Ascot, Part 2

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Royal Hats Along with a talented trio of guest milliners Christie Murray, Fiona Mangan and Jill Courtemanche, let’s wrap Day Two of Royal Ascot 2015 with a peek at the remaining hats we saw today.

Princess Anne in a new hat by Snoxell Gwyther

Jill:  This is a dramatically better look than yesterday but it still misses the mark for me. Although the feathers are festive and I like the textural combination of the parisisal and sinimay straws, I find the hat a little heavy and the look a bit fallish. I am a fan of the clean lines of Princess Anne’s dress and the draped scarf (a nice alternative to the jacket) but I would have preferred to see fresh, brighter colors.

Christie: Oh Princess Anne.  For such an elegant lady, I really can’t say that I’m a fan of this hat.  The colour is horrible, and those feathers!  It’s, quite literally, a bunch of Coque tail feathers sew in, as is, with no trimming, positioning, or feather work.  And the draping of the sinamay around the crown, just too heavy. I really hope she pulls out some beautiful millinery for the rest of the carnival.

Royal Hats: The hat alone, I don’t like. But with Anne’s cream sheath and patterned wrap, it makes for a one of the most modern and fashionable ensembles we’ve seen her wear recently. That’s saying something.

Fiona: She likes her browns doesn’t she? I like her dress and the scarf is really quite nice and she wears it well. This is quite a good hat shape on her but I can’t help thinking the crown is slightly too big on her against her delicate features. It just looks a little heavy but perhaps that is down to the dark colour too. But overall she looks a little more ‘suas chun dáta’ (up to date in Irish!) today, even though I am not a huge fan of her hat.

Autumn Phillips in a new hat by Emily London

Fiona: Love her outfit and the proportions and size of Autumns hat with the little bow at the back. The pistachio green hat matches her outfit perfectly and the placement is very nice. The wispy feathers which are a cute detail, are a little too vertical for my liking but where else could they have gone? They do add an airiness to the hat. However I do have a problem with the veiling behind the bow. There is too much of it and the edging is not finished properly, it should have been cut a little neater, not in a straight line, but following the zig-zag of the veiling line.

Jill: So perky and fun, Autumn hit the mark today! There is a lot going on here but it’s appropriate for the occasion and a perfect match for her ensemble. I really like the green on her and the touch of sparkle on the veiling, a bit unexpected here but it works.

Royal Hats: I also adore the green on Autumn. The whole ensemble is balanced, young and fresh.

Christie: How much fun! I love the playfulness of this headpiece, the cheeky bow underneath the veiling.  It’s quite cute and works well with her jacket. I understand what the Milliner was going for with the feather trim, It does balance the skirt detailing.  However,  I don’t particularly think it’s balanced coming out of the centre, it looks more like an after-thought vs something that was part of the initial design.

Princess Alexandra of Kent in a new hat by Rachel Trevor Morgan

Fiona: There’s a real sense of fun about this whole ensemble, I am liking it a lot. Her psychedelic coat is beautiful and particularly vibrant. The hat, whilst has all the bright colours incorporated, is cleverly trimmed by mixing the neutral colour through the bright colours. Very clever indeed. It is a good shape on her and my only criticism would be that I feel the straw material in the hat is a little heavy looking, I would have preferred to see parasissal or sinamay.

Royal Hats: Finally, some vibrant colour! This jacket could easily become clownish if matched with the wrong accessories and the natural straw grounds it in such a lovely way. The little bit of colour in the trim ties in with just the right touch.

Christie: Wow, this isn’t something I’d was expecting, when thinking of RTM headwear, which makes me think that Princess Alexandra had quite a bit of input in to the design of the hat.  Being one of Rachel’s hats, the finishing is impeccable, of course. I’m just not sure that it’s age-appropriate, or that the design works with the paisley detailing in her jacket? I do like the natural straw on her colouring, it suits her, without washing her out. I think, perhaps, it’s the trim that is throwing me off? Something’s just not quite working for me with this look.

Jill: I am going back and forth on this hat but it’s such a happy hat and the shape is very flattering on her so I am going to ignore the part of me that feels this straw choice is a bit too casual for the event. Alexandra’s suit has a lot going on and the colors are very rich so it is not an easy suit to match and I can see how they chose to go with the Milan straw which picks up on the gold. Incorporating all the colors into the trim is not easy either and Rachel Trevor Morgan did a lovely job getting it all in there without letting it get too busy. All that said, this straw does come in a finer variety (less rough) and I think that would have been a better choice for the base of the hat, but like I said it’s a very happy hat, it’s age appropriate and she looks great in it.

Princess Michael of Kent in repeated hat by John Boyd

Christie: That’s so cute that the Princess has colour matched her eye patch! The finishing on that straw hat is just – wow. Beautiful, clean lines, gorgeous shape. I just love it. But that trim. Oh my.  It screams ‘Swan’ to me in all the wrong ways. I just can’t say that I’m a fan of the fluff!

Royal Hats: Swan! Princess Michael has worn this numerous times and I think it is (to quote a one of Jill’s phrases from yesterday) “just on the right side of overdone”! On anyone else, it would be way over the top but on Princess Michael, it works!

Fiona: The hat is quite a nice shape and suits her face, but what is it with the dangling feather boa? I really don’t think that was necessary. It would be far neater if it was left atop the hat. The outfit colour suits her and occasssion appropriate, but I feel its ill-fitting. It is a little too loose in the jacket and the box pleating on the skirt doesn’t do much for her figure.

Jill: It’s a little hard for me to tell all that is going on here because of the feather but it looks like it might just be the feather. I love the white with the mint suit and the wide edge on the brim is very nice but the feather is just too much, too costumey feeling for me. I also want to tailor her jacket a bit to give her more of an hourglass silhouette. I actually think that would make me like the hat better, the volume of the feather would be proportioned to the shape of the suit.

We also saw The Duchess of Gloucester in her previously worn textured pink straw hat. Duchess of Gloucester, June 17, 2015 | Royal Hats

And finally- my favourite non-royal Ascot hats of the day were the Vivien Sheriff design worn by Lady Oxmantown and the claret velvet helmet on jockey Frankie Dettori, who enjoyed his 50th Ascot win today.

My sincere gratitude to Christie Murray, Fiona Mangan and Jill Courtemanche for sharing their milinery expertise with us again today. We will all be back tomorrow to chat about the hats from our favourite day of Ascot, Ladies’ Day!Photos from  James Whatling/Splash News via Corbis; and Getty as indicated

British Royals Celebrate Order Of the Garter

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As they do each year on the day before the start of Royal Ascot, members of the British royal family and distinguished guests gathered at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, for the annual Garter Service. This service, which celebrates The Order of the Garter (the highest order of chivalry and one of the most prestigious honours in the United Kingdom awarded at the Sovereign’s pleasure as a personal gift) dates back to 1348 and remains a highlight on the royal calendar each year.

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Members of the Garter wear elaborate robes and accessories for the Garter Service including a special hat. The hat, in the style of a Tudor bonnet, is made of black velvet and trimmed with a glorious plume of white ostrich and black heron feathers. Queen Elizabeth, who is Sovereign of the Garter, the Duke of Edinburgh, who is a Royal Knight of the Garter, and the Prince of Wales, who is Knight Companion of the Garter, all appeared today in the procession to St. George’s Chapel in this regalia and hat.

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Numerous other members of the British Royal Family have been welcomed into the Order as Royal Knights and Ladies – they also attended the service in Garter robes and hats.

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The Duchess of Cornwall repeated another one of her cream picture hats with wide, curving up-swept brims. This piece, in sparkling metallic straw, is trimmed with a large ruched band that circles around the perimeter of the hat. It’s a lovely piece, particularly with Camilla’s streamlined gold and cream jacket, but she has several hats in this shape she as worn in the past few weeks and I am more than ready to see something different.

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Designer: Philip Treacy. Dress and coat by Bruce Oldfield.
Previously Worn: June 15, 2013; September 16, 2012; June 19, 2012; June 3, 2012; 

The Countess of Wessex repeated her black velour cocktail hat with draped silk twisted bow. The hat coordinated beautifully with her other black accessories to provide the perfect contrast to her green silk dress. I adore this dress on Sophie and thought the hat was paired very well to it.

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Designer: Jane Taylor. Dress by Suzannah.
Previously Worn: March 26, 2015

The Duchess of Gloucester repeated a grey straw beret hat. While I have oft’ mentioned my desire to remove the hat’s “stem”, this piece is well matched to Brigitte’s grey and blue dress and she wears it well.

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Designer: unconfirmed. My guess is Lock & Co.
Previously Worn: November 6, 2013; June 19, 2013; June 5, 2012

It is always wonderful to see the British royals enjoying an event together and such seems to be the case today. One of my favourite parts of the Garter Service is that it heralds the coming of Royal Ascot, which starts tomorrow! Stay tuned early Tuesday morning for a review of the hats seen at the first day of the races.

Photos from Getty as indicated

Trooping the Colour: Extended British Royal Family

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Trooping the Colour is wonderful not only because it is Queen Elizabeth’s official birthday celebration but because it is attended by the many members of the extended British Royal Family who we seldom see throughout the year. While the Linley family did not attend this year (along with Princess Anne’s children and grandchildren), the Kent family was well represented. Princess Alexandra of Kent repeated a dove grey hat wrapped in wide ruched sash around the based of the crown and dotted net veil. With her tailored grey jacket, she looked most elegant.Lady Nicholas Windsor, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Lady Helen Taylor and the Countess of St. Andrews, June 13, 2015 | Royal Hats

The Duke and Duchess of Kent’s daughter-in-law, Lady Nicholas Windsor, wore the most avant garde hat of the day, a brimless moulded piece in ecru straw trimmed with a large u-shaped embellishment. While some might think her hat sprouted horns, I liked the unusual trim and Paola wore the piece very well. The Countess of St. Andrews wore a large navy picture hat with square crown and cartwheel brim edged in a wide white stripe; her hat was trimmed with a large white.

Lady Helen Taylor wore a black beret-based percher hat lavishly trimmed with opalescent paillettes and widely woven black net veil.  You can see a detailed photo is creative hat here.

Designer: Stephen Jones. It is the “Nerve” design from SS 2015
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Princess Michael of Kent repeated her angular, pale grey pillbox with dramatic ostrich plume trim. This hat is an excellent pairing with her austere dress and coat and Marie-Christine looked fabulous.

Designer: John Boyd
Previously Worn: October 18, 2015; June 18, 2014; June 16, 2014

Zenouska Mowatt, Lady Gabriella Windsor and Julia Ogilvy, June 13, 2015 | Royal Hats

Princess Michael’s daughter, Lady Gabriella Windsor, wore a large picture hat in pale pink straw trimmed with three large curling sashes. If this hat is, as I suspect, the OC-875 design from Philip Treacy’s summer collection this year, it features a flat crown and large, cartwheel brim. Princess Alexandra’s daughter-in-law, Julia Ogilvy wore a pink beret trimmed with large flowers while Zenouska Mowatt (Princess Alexandra’s granddaughter) wore a dusty pink curved hat which appeared to be trimmed with silk flowers and a crin overlay on the brim.

The Duchess of Gloucester repeated her raspberry pink straw hat. It’s a fine hat that unfortunately, is not helped by the tulled scarf wrapped around it.

While not visible in photos from today, the Duchess of Gloucester’s daughter-in-law, the Countess of Ulster,  wore a navy percher hat. Lady Sarah Chatto repeated her black straw saucer hat. This draws today’s coverage of Trooping the Colour to a close. Which hat was your favourite on the Buckingham Palace balcony today?

Photos from WeirPhotos/Splash News and WeirPhotos/Splash News via Corbis; and Getty as indicated

British Royals Enjoy Epsom Races

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Members of the British Royal Family were spotted enjoying  Derby Day during the Investec Derby Festival at Epsom Racecourse today. Queen Elizabeth led the entourage in a hat which has not seen the light of day for nearly four years. With a sage green straw cloche base (the same base shape as other Kelly designs), this piece is distinctively enveloped in a wide band of yellow folded straw that extends down over the brim. Trimmed with green and bright pink feathers and a small yellow straw knot, the piece coordinates with the Queen’s printed dress. Coordination, however, is not always enough to make a succhessful ensemble and I am afraid that given the choice, I would put this bulbous hat and dowdy collarless coat into permanent retirement.

Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: July 12, 2011; May 18, 2011

Princess Alexandra cast an elegant figure in a turquoise tailored jacket and matching new hat. The straw hat featured a rounded crown (lower than the high crowns the Princess usually favours) and a gently upturned brim on one side. Trimmed with swirled feathers and a swath of net tulle, the hat is a beautiful proportion and colour on Alexandra. While this piece might look familiar, I believe it is new (although very similar to this hat in paler blue).

Designer: I believe it is Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Work: This hat is new

Princess Michael of Kent repeated her white picture hat trimmed with an oversize plume of frothy white ostrich feathers encircling the crown. I adore this hat- it makes such a luxurious and grand statement while remaining delicate, light and perfectly balanced. I suspect that only a master can make a hat look like it is floating on air.

Designer: John Boyd
Previously Worn: June 7, 2014
The British royals always look like they are having an immensely fun time at Epsom. What did you think of their hats today?
Photos from Getty as indicated