Joined by my lovely guests, British Milliner Katie Vale and American milliner Jill Courtemanche, let’s look at the royal hats yesterday at Day 2 of Royal Ascot
Queen Elizabeth in Rachel Trevor Morgan
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
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KV: I love this hat! The colour matches the jacket perfectly and the pretty, delicate flowers pick out all of the colours in the dress so well. The shape is a standard for the Queen and she is comfortable in it but the flowers give a modern feel to it. I love how they go all the way around the crown too! My favourite hat that I’ve seen her in for a long time.
JC: I really liked the queen’s hat today. The shape and the proportion of the hat were very flattering and the trim was a lovely match with her coat and dress. I was particularly taken with the clean lines of the hat, how it created a modern look allowing her to do a bit more with the details in her outfit – the gathered neckline of the dress, floral broach and the pearls.
RH: As Katie mentioned, this is a familiar hat shape for the Queen and works so well for her. I think the simple shape also does well to hold more fussy decoration. The flowers on this hat would be too cutesey for anyone else (especially circled all the way around the brim) but on the Queen, it’s charming and very, very pretty.
Duchess of Cornwall in Philip Treacy
KV: It’s funny because we often speak about Camilla being “over hatted” in these large creations; whilst I do really like this hat I think the brim could easily be bigger! The brim and decoration are fairly big, and I do love the shape of the brim but it just seems a tad unbalanced. But I like the design & decoration!
RH: I have always loved this hat and don’t find it off balance at all. We see so many hats trimmed with flowers, feathers and bows, it’s such a fresh change to see the pleated origami-esque pinwheel trimming this hat. I think this focal point is balanced by the slightly raised brim on the other side of this hat. What’s most interesting to me is that this is an all cream ensemble- coat, dress and hat- but it’s not boring at all.
JC: This looks to be the same shape as the hat she wore on day one just with a more tailored trim. It’s a great and flattering shape on her and I love the ivory and the combination of the two types of straw. If I had to choose between the two, I think I liked the blue a bit more.
Princess Anne
JC: I love a good pillbox and I am so happy that the shape is making a comeback on the millinery scene. I think this is a great shape on Princess Anne but I wish she had chosen to have it made in a straw (or silk) that complimented her suit rather than in the same fabric. I think the fabric makes it a bit matronly but I don’t dislike the overall look.
KV: I also love a large pill box shape (they remind me of Jackie O) but I don’t think this hat is enough for Ascot. The more I look at this design the more I like it actually; but it is too bland for a princess at ascot!
RH: I seldom like hats made in the same fabric as a coordinating dress or coat (what can I say, I’m a sucker for more textural contrast). This one however, is interesting as the pattern has been run diagonally on the hat and that provides some contrast. It has a rather global feel which is fun for a royal hat. That aside, I have to agree with Katie that while this hat is great for an average royal engagement, it’s lacks the visual punch we all expect to see at Ascot.
Countess of Wessex in Jane Taylor
JC: This is really an overall lovely look! The hat is incredibly flattering on her and I really like the saucer/picture hat shape. I also really like the sheer inset, it keeps the hat light and adds interest without piling on the trim. Her whole outfit has a nod to the 1950’s and I think she looks great.
KV: High 5! Absolutely beautiful! The brim shape with the pointed dip is gorgeous. I love the crin gap in it too, giving a lovely detail to the plain straw. I think the delicate flower just finishes it off so well too. By far my favourite hat today! Well done Sophie, you’ve picked a winner!
RH: Such a beautiful hat. The shape is interesting and I love the sheer crin stripe in the brim. I often find these all white outfits rather boring but this hat is the showstopper in this elegant ensemble. Also my favourite hat of the day.
Duchess of Gloucester
JC: Adorable, I love this entire ensemble. The perky beret is the perfect shape to wear with this high frill collar, it lifts her out of the suit and gives her nice height. The simplicity of the hat is a little sedate for Ascot but paired with the lively suit it works. She looks fantastic.
KV: I think I’ve seen her in this before. A plain beret shape is quite fashionable at present, but I can’t help feeling that it is a winter hat! It’s also dark in colour too, so again tells us it should belong in winter. It’s a nice enough hat, but with the lack of decoration it gives very little oomph! I just don’t think it’s enough to say it’s an ascot hat!
RH: She certainly has worn it before (in several colours!) Repetition aside, I think it’s adorable with her polka dot coat.
Princess Michael of Kent in John Boyd
KV: I really like this hat, the shape is gorgeous and there is so much silver grey around at the moment. The ostrich feather plume gives a lovely finish. My only negative thoughts about this is that it seems more of a winter hat.
JC: This feels a little costumey to me but I like it. Princess Michael looks very nice in the toque shape and the color is soft and simple plus it matches her suit perfectly. The puff of ostrich feathers for the trim adds just enough fun to make this right for Ascot, I give it a thumbs up.
RH: We first saw this hat last weekend for Trooping the Colour. It is rather costumey but so are most of Princess Michael’s hats and that’s why we love her. I think the addition of the ostrich plume to a classic hat is quite creative and fun. In a bright colour it would probably look ridiculous but in this cool silver, it’s lovely and oh-so fun.
Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Princess of Jordan, Sheikha of Dubai in suspected Philip Treacy
RH: It’s an interesting shape but I’m not crazy about the mint green toothpastey colour on Princess Haya, nor how far back it is on her head. These points are moot, however, because this hat is competing with the Van Gough sunflowers. I find the dress confusing and this confusion takes away from the hat.
JC: The hat is the best part of this outfit…..that dress is ghastly! Normally I do not like hats worn this far back on the head but this frames Princess Haya’s face beautifully and with her hair back and her lovely earrings, I think it works. The hat itself is fantastic, I really like the shallow crown and the crin detail. (RH: I totally missed that pretty crin detail because with this dress, I seriously don’t see the hat!)
KV: The shape of this hat is lovely. The brim is placed very well and gives a fabulous as symmetrical shape whilst keeping her full face uncovered. The colour is light and summery. I’m not 100% sure about the bow detail though and I can’t figure out why!
Lady Brabourne in Dillon Wallwork
RH: A number of you have contacted me, requesting we include Lady Brabourne’s marvelous tomato red straw hat in our Ascot coverage. It is a lovely hat with the most elegant shape. I particularly love the modern, asymmetrical hat with her traditional 1960’s-esque cropped jacket. So chic!
All in all, another wonderfully entertaining day of royal Ascot hats, don’t you think? Which hats were your favourites yesterday?
Photos from Getty as indicated and Rex via The Daily Mail
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.
I so enjoyed hearing about 
Royal Hats 
