We see just a handful of hats on royals from Jordan and Dubai but when we do, they are certainly not shrinking violets! Were any of the hats worn by Princess Haya bint Al Hussein or Princess Badiya Bint El Hassan this year among your highest or least favourite?
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Click on any of the photos above to link with the original post, complete with photo sources and larger photos of each hat.
I was interviewed on the marvelous royal blog, Luxarazzi yesterday (you can read our chat here). The last question asked if I could invite six royals (dead or alive) to a dinner party, who would find an invitation in their mailbox? It was an incredibly difficult question to answer but here is my response:
There are six particularly fearless royal hat wearers who immediately come to mind: Queen Elizabeth, Princess Beatrix, Queen Mathilde, Queen Máxima, the Countess of Wessex and Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan, Sheikha of Dubai. I would love to hear each of these royal ladies’ approach to hat wearing, their funniest stories involving hats and how much input they have (or would like to have) in the design process. Of course, dinner would not be complete without asking about their favourite and least favourite hats.
After more thought, I need to stretch my dinner table to include the Duchess of Cornwall as well.
As we move into the weekend, dear readers, I pose this same question to you: If you could invite six royals (dead or alive) to a dinner party, who would find an invitation in their mailbox? I look forward to hearing your responses!
Photos from Patrick van Katwijk via Monarchy Press; Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty; Remko delWaal via AFP; Stephen Lock/Rex Features via i-Images ; Dean Mouhtaropoulos, Chris Jackson, and Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty
While numerous royal hats stood out at Ascot this year, the results of our June poll showed that you, dear readers, had five very clear favourites:
Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein in a cream Philip Treacy cocktail hat on Day 4
The Countess of Wessex in a bespoke Jane Taylor black boater hat with silk bow detail on Day 3
And your 
favourite hat of Ascot 2014? The Countess of St. Andrews in Yvette Jelfs’ side slant picture hat with lip detail on the brim and silk rose trim, worn on Day 4
Thanks to all who voted! Stay tuned for the first of two July regular polls later this week.
Photos from Chris Jackson, Stuart C. Wilson via Getty; Chris Jackson/Gettyvia Zimbio; Mark Cuthbert via Getty; Chris Jackson via Getty; and Press Association and Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse via The Daily Mail
Yesterday turned out to be a vibrant day of royal hats for Day 4 of Ascot. I am so pleased to welcome American milliner Jill Courtemanche and British Milliner Katie Vale back to share their insights and opinions of the hats we saw.
Queen Elizabeth in Angela Kelly
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KV: By far my favourite hat that we’ve seen the Queen in so far this Ascot. The colour is glorious. And the flower decoration is pretty. I like this so much on the Queen because the crown is actually smaller than she usually wears and that’s a good thing in my book.
JC: This is not my favorite, I think it all looks a little heavy. The brim with the sheer straw and fabric bumper is very flattering on the queen but I find the crown a touch too tall and the trim too much in the center of the hat. The trim itself looks like a bit of a jumble of whatever was in the drawer, I think it weighs the hat down instead of adding a hint of whimsy.
RH: I like the mix of textures and the straw brim on this fabric hat does lighten it a little. I also love the fabric ‘bumper’ edging the brim. The colour is glorious and the shape is wonderful but there is something about the mix of sweet pink flowers and racy animal print feathers that has the trim on this hat headed off madly in different directions.
Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Princess of Jordan, Sheikha of Dubai in Philip Treacy
RH: Now THIS is a cocktail hat! I adore the movement, the lightness of the crin and straw ribbon tails (similar to the ones that adorned Camilla’s hat back on Day 1) and the scale of the decoration. This hat has drama and much personality but is not entirely over the top. I love it!
KV: This is quite different from what we’ve seen from her this week. It’s a lot smaller and more subtle. But I’m a big fan. The delicate material and flowing decoration echo her top well. Being in cream it’s difficult to see the full detail, but overall I like it. She looks elegant and classy in this.
JC: Glorious! This is truly a stunning hat and it completely makes the outfit. All of her hats this week have been very feminine and this one is no exception. I love how it appears so effortless like it just landed softly on her head. This is definitely one of my favorites of the week so far.
Lady Sarah Chatto in Stephen Jones
JC: Very simple, clean and modern but really a bit boring for the Ascot. I would like to have seen a bit more trim going on especially since she wore this same silhouette last week. This could have easily had some gorgeous flowers or a feather trim added on to give it some flare for the event. That said it is a lovely shape on her and she has it tilted perfectly to create a nice line
KV: As you can see, the asymmetrical discs are at the height of fashion this year. They give a large hat feel, but only a small part is actually touching the head, therefore they aren’t too hot to wear and allow various different hair styles. Unfortunately Sarah looks very drained in this cream hat. It’s quite a basic design and is in just a bland cream colour. I think the size and shape is lovely but it needs some decoration on it. It also needs to be a different colour!
RH: To be fair, the photos released today don’t show this hat to greatest effect. Lady Sarah wore this hat also for Trooping the Colour this year- a better view can be seen here. Her aesthetic is usually clean and modern, and I love the shape on her. It looks like she embellished this hat with a pair of diamond brooches- a hat with diamonds seems like a wonderful idea!
Lady Helen Taylor in Stephen Jones
JC: I am not sure what this is but it reminds me of a crumpled hanky on a headband. I think if maybe it was tilted a bit more forwards towards the right eye it would help but as it is now I am not a fan. The scattered rhinestone trim doesn’t add much interest either.
KV: I like that she is wearing something unique, however I feel that the placement is wrong. It needs to be further to the side, at present it looks more like a squashed mortar board. I can see what she’s trying to achieve here, but I don’t think it has worked if I’m honest.
RH: I just don’t understand this hat, nor why it was paired with this particular dress. Scratching my head with this one. And I take back my previous comment- hats with diamonds aren’t always a good idea (!).
The Countess of St. Andrews in Yvette Jelfs
JC:I think this is a great color tone for her, the mocha color really flatters her skin tone. I am not sure I would paired with a black suit but the hat itself is lively on her and I really love the flower next to her face. We have seen a lot of that this week and really adds a nice softness to these more modern saucer shapes.
KV: Oh this is amazing! It’s dramatic yet isn’t too fussy! The nude colour is very elegant and not over powering at all. The shape is beautiful with the large lip, and I like that the flower is hidden.
RH: Sylvana’s daughter Lady Marina wore this hat to Trooping the Colour last week. Like Katie and Jill, I love the subtle colour, the flower spray under the brim and the overall shape of the hat. It is dramatic indeed, but with a gentleness to it that is oh-so pretty.
The hats yesterday were completely different from the hats we saw on days one, two and three. I’m curious, dear readers- what did you think of yesterday’s Ascot hats?
Photos from Getty as indicated and Getty for Ascot Racecourse via The Daily Mail
Today was Ladies’ Day at Ascot and I am so pleased to be joined by two talented ladies, British Milliner Katie Vale and American milliner Jill Courtemanche, for a review of the day’s hats. What a day it has been!
Queen Elizabeth in Rachel Trevor Morgan
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JC: The color on this hat (and coat) is stunning! I still think the sharp upturn of the brim is not my favorite shape on her, but I applaud her for mixing it up and embracing a variety of silhouettes. The detail on the trim of this hat is really great. The shading in the flowers and darker edging on the ribbon all make for lovely accents and give the hat a real three dimensionality which is very pretty.
KV: It’s a nice inoffensive hat. I like the asymmetrical brim, which is different to others we see from the queen; usually she has more of wide brim with an upturn. The colour matches her dress perfectly and the flowers are quite pretty. The size is good and it’s well balanced, but it doesn’t excite me.
RH: Does anyone where these saturated shades of blue better? I have long been a fan of Rachel Trevor Morgan’s feathered flowers and these blooms, with the two-toned blue and navy straw bow loops, make this such a pretty hat. I also really like the shape of both the brim and the crown. This might not be the fantastical, whimsical show-stopper hat we associate with Ladies’ Day but I think the Queen looks beautiful.
Princess Beatrice in Sarah Cant
KV: Oh I love this! A pretty colour and I like the stitch detail on the felt. It’s not often that you see felt being worn in the summer, but I like the brightness of it. The size of the button base is delicate. My only negative is that I don’t think it actually goes with her outfit.
JC: I really want to like this, but I think the fact that it is felt is throwing me. I love the color (even though it is the wrong shade of orange to match her skirt) and the shape is very nice on her especially the profile, I just wish the hat was in a straw so the whole thing would be lighter. I like that’s it’s youthful and fun yet I just don’t think it’s quite right.
RH: I also love the shocking, vibrant colour, the sculptural quality of the shape, and the stitching detail. Like Jill, I am perplexed with the choice of a felt hat for an event in June. Pair it with a navy or grey winter coat for Christmas this year and I will swoon!
Princess Eugenie in Robyn Coles
KV: I bet those two dangly bits have got in her way all day! The rose seems too high from the base and whilst the colour goes well with her outfit I just think overall it’s a tad bland. It’s a nice size though but I’ve seen her in nicer designs.
RH: I desperately want to pivot this hat so that those two tails are not over her face. If they were dangling down over her ear, I think the eye would be drawn up and the effect of the hat would be really pretty.
JC: The color is perfect with her jacket (which I covet) and the shape is vey clean and modern, overall very nice on her but I do not know how she can stand having the ends of that bow in her line of vision all day! I don’t like anything that creates a focal point on the face like that, I think it’s distracting I would have preferred to see the trim a bit more off to the side. That said she looks incredibly ladylike and pulled together which is fantastic!
The Countess of Wessex in Jane Taylor
KV: Zara has always been my favourite royal hat wearer, but at this rate Sophie may be over taking her! I love the shallow crown, and the shape of the brim gives lots of lovely movement. The design of the loops is also really well placed both on top and underneath the brim. My only criticism is that she is in a completely black outfit and it looks a little somber.
JC: Another gorgeous silhouette, this hat is divine! A definite show stopper and it feels light for being all black. The way the trim loops through the brim to frame the right side of her face is genius. Her overall look could have used a pop of color, it’s bordering on dowdy especially with the weight of the fabric (I would take 4″ off the length of that skirt and add a brightly colored belt) but she looks demure and feminine, this look is classic.
HR: Is it black or is it navy? In the closeup shots, it looks navy. Even with questions of colour, this hat is spectacular. The gentle wave shape of the brim contrasted with the large bow loops is brilliant. Like Jill and Katie, I’m not sure this dress was the right pairing for it. The hat however, was my favourite of the day.
Princess Anne in Snoxell Gwyther
JC: I am glad that for Ladies’ Day Princess Anne clicked it up a notch. I adore the bright color on her and it’s fantastic with her coat I just find the crown a bit too heavy for her delicate features. The trim is not my favorite but it is simple and allows the coat and her other accessories to have a place. When I just see a headshot I think this is way too much but in full length it really works nicely and I think this is her best look so far this week.
KV: This hat is totally unbalanced! The crown is too big and the brim is too small. However it is lovely to see her in a nice colourful hat, as the previous two days I’ve just thought the hats weren’t enough for Ascot.I do love the hot pink / navy colour combination though and think the decoration is very elegant, yet striking.
RH: I don’t care about the slightly off proportions of this hat. It’s a hot pink hat on Princess Anne! That alone is cause for major millinery celebration!!. It is also really pretty with her gorgeous coat.
Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Princess of Jordan, Sheikha of Dubai in Philip Treacy
KV: YES!!! Now that’s an Ascot hat. The overbrim trim is delicate lace that matches her dress, and it really does work well decorating the brim like this. The underside decoration appears to be a large flower with feathers then on top of that; I think if you can’t go OTT at Ascot when can you? However, I think it should be either a flower or a feather spray. Overall though I’m a fan of this hat; it really makes me smile.
RH: You can always count on Princess Haya to wear something astounding on Ladies’ Day and she certainly didn’t disappoint today. I love the lace trim around the brim although I agree that the feather explosion on the side is a little large (it looks even larger than her head!). That being said, Ladies’ Day is all about fantastical hats and Princess Haya carried this one off with impeccable style.
JC: This is gorgeous, she looks absolutely stunning by far my favorite look of the day. Dare I say a modern Eliza Dolittle! In America most people are so uneducated on hat wearing that the movie My Fair Lady is their only reference for race day hats and I really feel this is a modern take on that and it’s perfectly executed. The detail work on the trim is beautiful, she’s wearing it perfectly so it’s frames her face and her dress is simple enough that the hat is really the main dish (which I love). This is what Ladies Day at Ascot should be.
That leaves you, dear readers. What do you think of the royal hats on display at Ascot today?
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
