Tag Archives: Princess Hisako

Favourite Repeated Royal Hat of 2019

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In 2019, many lovely hats stepped out on royal heads for the second, third, (or ninth!) times. Throughout the year, you picked favouritea from these repeatedly worn designs and assembled a list of nine stunning semi-finalists for the year. It is now finally time to share your top four choices for Favourite Repeated Royal Hat of 2019:

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Queen Elizabeth’s orange hat with magnolia blooms and brown straw leaves by Angela Kelly (made by Stella McLaren) worn March 7 to the Science Museum in London


Princess Hisako’s cream straw hat with black brim stripe and monochrome flowers worn September 24 for the Japan Sports Masters Tournament in Gifu Prefecture


Princess Alexandra’s pink straw picture hat with bow & feathers by Rachel Trevor Morgan worn to Ascot on June 18

Countess of Wessex’s natural straw cutout saucer with tan organdie twists and coral feathers by Jane Taylor worn for the Order of the Garter on June 17

This hat was also your pick for top repeated royal hat in 2018 (and made the top three in 2017!), making it the first design ever on Royal Hats to win two years running! Congratulations to British milliner Jane Taylor and the Countess of Wessex, whose millinery partnership is clearly a winning one, and to the other three milliners who designed these beautiful runners up. It’s a wonderful (and well deserved) surprise to see an Imperial royal hat in this year’s winner’s circle. 
Jump over to this post to see the poll results in greater detail. What do you think about these winners?
Photos from Gifu; Robin Utrecht via Shutterstock;  Pool/Max Mumby via Getty; and Getty as indicated 

This Week’s Extras

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Yesterday, Empress Masako was photographed arriving for the Spring Equinox Festival at the Imperial Palace in an ecru silk covered hat with upturned Breton brim. This video shows Crown Princess Kiko, Princess Mako, Princess Kako and Princess Hisako arriving in cream silk bumper hats and Princess Tsuguko in a her cloche with short cartwheel brim.
King Harald and Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit shared greetings and words of encouragement along with photos of how they are keeping occupied in isolation


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God fredag❤️. Her kommer noen bilder herfra i denne spesielle tiden. Hos oss er det hjemmekontor ,telefonmøter, lekser, turgåing, bading og rutiner som holder moralen oppe. Haakon, barna og jeg sender mange gode tanker til alle som på hver sine hvis holder hjulene i gang om dagen. En ekstra hilsen til dere som føler dere mer ensomme nå. Og til alle som har blitt syke: Måtte dagene bli lettere snart. Min måte å finne ro ser du hvis du blar videre❤️ Sender @askerhusflidslag og Heidi en stor takk for lånet av hjemmevev! Hvis noen trenger boktips så kan jeg anbefale å ta opp igjen John Irving. Spesielt «Last night in twisted river» Irving skriver så levende historier at man kan unne seg å være midt i et annet univers en stund, og det er vel noe vi alle trenger nå.... En liten pause. Kommer med flere boktips etterhvert. Sender en klem her fra vevstua... ❤️🇳🇴❤️#sammenholdervimoralenoppe

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Several of you have commented on this re-post of Queen Margrethe making a dachshund hat. It’s certainly worth another watch!
I have no idea when this photo was taken but it shows one of the wives of  Swazi King Mswati III in a fun, deep red headpiece that I don’t remember seeing before.
The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:

 Blue straw fedora with saucy brim with silver lace appliqué with hand embroidered sequins by Dutch milliner Wies Mauduit
Black beret percher rimmed in straw blooms and a straw bow by New York-based brand Suzanne Couture Millinery
Another bold and wonderfully vibrant sinamay headpiece by American milliner Amy Fowler
Lovely drape on this vibrant blue felt beret percher’s double bow by Australian milliner Neil Grigg
Exaggerated and striking white boater hat with tall crown and cutout brim by Korean milliner Q Park
Blue ombre bandeau headpiece of overlapping straw leaves by British milliner Bee Smith
Lovely mulberry felt fedora with extended brim and fantastic pheasant feathers by Kenya-based miliner Chloe Mitchell
Black and white straw saucer with flying rim trimmed with lace by American milliner Tiffany Arey
Mysteriously beautiful veiled black lace mask headpiece by British milliner Jane Taylor
Tan felt fedora with fascinating textured brim by Australian milliner Felicity Northeast
Two-toned blue sinamay percher with sweeping shape by New York-based milliner Sally Caswell
Futuristic black straw saucer brimmed design with orbiting planets by British brand Miss Ginny Millinery
Two blush leather halo bandeau headpieces with statement flowers here and here by Australian milliner Cessiah Alice
For our dear gents, this sleek black fedora with silk paisley hatband from Danish brand Hornskov København

And from British milliner Anne Tomlin, this amazing percher made from straw braid sewn with wire and formed into a caged button percher, trimmed with exquisite handmade lily-of-the-valley and silk abaca leaves.
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Lily-of-the valley are harbingers of brighter days ahead. Green is the colour of hope and is connected with the colour of springtime; hope represents the faith that things will improve after a period of difficulty, like the renewal of flowers and plants after the winter season regardless of the virus. Pollution levels are now lower and that can only be a good thing for nature to thrive and improve our immune systems. Maybe there will be things to learn after this crisis enabling us to rethink how we live our lives and how we can protect our natural world. 🌿 I made this very delicate hat for a competition. It didn't win but to me it it will always be a winner. Looking at it makes me happy and emotional. I loved the challenge of making a hat completely by hand. Sewing the wire in to the straw braid and hand sewing the edges took days but it was a really therapeutic project. 🌿 It currently sits under a big glass dome looking very green and positive. I hope it brings you some cheer in these difficult times. 🌿 A big thank you to my beautiful friend Sue @cesuemac for modelling it with such serenity and for Ian my photographer @skellu 🌱🌿🌱🌿 #lilyofthevalley #handmade #flowermaker #silkflowers #millinerymaker #millineryflowers #positivenews @bumble_mag @selvedgemagazine @bloom_the_magazine @hortusjournal #greenforce #healing #beautifulobjects #environment #botanical #naturecure #lookafteryourself #craftmanship #creativelifehappylife #hatalkcompetition

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Happy news from Bhutan on the safe arrival of a new prince on Thursday.
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❀ Announcement ❀ We are honoured to announce the birth of the second Royal Child of Their Majesties The King and Queen, a Prince, on the 19th of March 2020, corresponding with the 25th day of the 1st month of the Male Iron Rat year, in Lingkana Palace, Thimphu. Her Majesty and the royal baby are in good health, and His Royal Highness The Gyalsey was delighted to meet his younger brother. Their Majesties express their gratitude to the medical team, the Zhung Dratshang and to everyone for their well-wishes and prayers. While this remains a very happy occasion for the Royal family and the nation and people of Bhutan, Their Majesties wish to remind all Bhutanese to be mindful, responsible and supportive to each other in the wake of the COVID-19 virus. Their Majesties have everyone whose lives have been affected by this global pandemic in their thoughts and prayers. (Royal photograph taken in February 2020) #RoyalBaby #Bhutan #Prince

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The Belgian princes and princesses sharing waffles with the staff and residents of two nursing homes.
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⁣ ⁣ Solidair met de meest kwetsbaren: huisgemaakte wafels voor de bewoners en zorgpersoneel van twee rusthuizen en telefonische contacten met eenzame bejaarden. Samen sterk tegen Corona!⁣ —————⁣ Solidarité avec les personnes âgées : gaufres faites maison pour les résidents et le personnel soignant de deux maisons de repos et contacts téléphoniques pour soutenir les personnes âgées isolées. Tous ensemble contre le Corona !⁣ —————⁣ Solidarity with the most vulnerable: home-made waffles for the residents and nursing staff of two nursing homes and telephone conversations with lonely elderly people. Strong together against Corona!⁣ ⁣ #Belgianwaffles #waffles #wafels #gaufres #belges #gauffres #ouderen #elderly #personnesâgées #SamenTegenCorona #EnsembleContreCorona #GemeinsamGegenCorona #confinement #TogetherAgainstCorona #Corona #Covid_19 #COVID19BE #CoronaVirus #BelgianRoyalPalace #MonarchieBe

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What are you doing to spread support and encouragement these days?

Photos from social media as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Princess Beatrix in a black straw hat with embellished bumper brim last Wednesday at the funeral of Infanta Pillar
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On January 31st, Princess Nobuko and Princess Hisako visited the 69th Kanto Tokai Flower Exhibition at Sunshine City Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo. Princess Nobuko wore a black brimmed hat while Princess Hisako donned a gey felt Pork pie-crowned design with rolled brim and burgundy hatband
Chic grey felt boater hat on Princess Hisako today to open the 2020 Tokyo Tableware Festival
Queen Elizabeth in a familiar blue felt hat with feather flowers by Angela Kelly, made by Stella McLaren, to attend St. Peter and St. Paul church this morning in West Newton near Sandringham
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The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Lilac lace covered button percher with silk flowers by Irish milliner Teresa Nugent
Black straw saucer with lovely swirling blush floral trim from British milliner Justine Bradley-Hill
Burgundy felt folded design with button trim by German millinery Angelika Löbering
Pink straw wide-brimmed hat with statement polka dot bow by Florida-based AmyJo Original Hats
Black featherpercher with quill twist and red feather hearts by Australian milliner Jill Humphries
Beret percher wrapped in ombre orange organdie ribbon with bows by British milliner Dillon Wallwork
And this wonderfully elegant grey straw design with rolling wave cuffed brim, veil, feather quill twist and diamante bumble bees from British milliner Rachel Henry

Lovely new portrait released by the Dutch court to celebrate Princess Beatrix’s 82nd birthday
Sweet snap from the Monaco Royal Palace balcony during the Sainte Devote Ceremony last Monday
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Photos from social media as indicated

Imperial New Years Poetry Reading 2020

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Members of the Imperial Royal Family attended the annual New Years poetry reading yesterday at the Royal Palace in some colourful and interesting hats.


Crown Princess Kiko repeated a mint green silk covered bumper hat, trimmed with a diamond of the same woven lattice silk as the bodice of her gown.  Princess Mako repeated a pale, ice blue silk floral jacquard covered calot hat with narrow, upturned, cuffed brim. Princess Kako repeated a royal blue silk bumper hat with beaded edge on the top of the upturned brim.

Princess Nobuko wore a new apricot silk covered bumper hat studded with tiny sparkle beads. The silk on the bumper brim is covered in bias stripes, giving a subtle diagonal movement to the design. Princess Akiko topped her cornflower blue gown with a matching hat. The hat’s button crown is covered in what looks like appliqued silk in the same hue, and a slim bumper brim circles the design.

Princess Hisako wore a new hat with saddle shaped brim covered in cream silk and an avocado green narrow crown embellished with the same applique cutouts as on her coordinating gown. Green silk flowers and leaves cascade from below the brim’s raised back – a design feature I don’t recall seeing before on a royal hat. Princess Tsuguko also had a new headpiece in teal, gold and taupe with peach silk roses.

This event usually shows us some of the most colourful and memorable Imperial royal hats of the year and yesterday did not disappoint! Which ensembles stand out to you most here?

Photos from social media as indicated

Imperial New Years Lectures 2020

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Members of the Imperial Royal Family attended the annual New Years lectures on Tuesday at the Royal Palace.

The Akishino princesses all repeated silk covered hats, Princess Kiko in an ivory bumper hat with gold threaded brocade fabric covering the crown; Princess Mako in her peacock blue wide bandeau with large diamond pattern and multi side bow; and Princess Kaiko in a buttercup yellow bandeau with silk blossoms on the side.

Princess Nobuko repeated an aubergine silk bumper hat with beaded split brim. The colour is divine and I adore the subtle bit of sparkle dressing up the split brim. Princess Akiko repeated a pale blue Breton wrapped in an ostrich feather hatband and frothy veil. Princess Yoko wore an ice blue silk covered bumper hat studded with pears that I don’t think we’ve seen before.

Princess Hisako repeated the peach hat that wowed us at the Imperial inauguration. This improved view of the piece shows it to be a boater base covered in apricot silk. The beaded applique around the neckline of Hisako’s gown is repeated on the top of the crown and the brim is overlaid in ombre dyed layers of silk (maybe layered with crin?). Silk calla lilies in the same ombre shades adorn the side of the hat, studded with pearls. Princess Tsuguko repeated a headpiece of overlapping silk leaves in various shades of purple, trimmed in gold, anchored around the back of her head.

We see few royal events attended in traditional court dress which is a shame, because the combination of gown and hat can be spectacular. Which ensembles stand out to you most here?

Photos from The Asahi Shimbun via Getty; and social media as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Last Sunday, Princess Kako was spotted arriving at the Imperial Royal Palace to greet her grandparents on the occasion of her 25th birthday.
Also last Sunday, Princess Hisako attended the national Women’s Football Championship final in a chocolate bowler variation with interesting black knotted felt hatband. On January 1st, she attended the Emperor’s Cup football match in an ecru bumper hat with fur brim and side bow.


Members of the Norwegian royal family wore simple bandeau headpieces (some in pink, presumably a statement of hope) for yesterday’s funeral of Ari Behn. Princess Laurentien wore a sleek black turban-style hat. You can also read Princess Märtha Louise’s touching statement, released last night, here.


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The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Statement folded star headpiece by British milliner Bee Smith
Elegant brimless blocked hat in oxblood felt by Russian milliner Lia Gureeva
Dark green ruffled velvet bandeau by UK brand Camilla Rose Millinery
White button percher with wonderful printed twists by Hong Kong-based Irish milliner Noeleen

Lovely picture of the Emperor and Empress Emeritus and their family, taken in mid-December
Amazing new photo of Queen Elizabeth and the UK’s future 3 kings released to celebrate this new decade
New Year portrait greeting from the Luxembourg royal family

Photos from social media as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Great grey veiled hat on Princess Hisako last Sunday for a visit to Omiwa Shrine
The Japanese emperor and empress visited Nara and Kyoto this week. For their arrival on Tuesday, Empress Masko repeated a white silk bowler hat with  beaded hatband. For mausoleum visits on Wednesday, she wore a smart (new, I think) pale grey hat with short, upturned brim and horizontally pleated crown.


On Thursday, Princess Nobuko wore a fun dark blue crowned hat with black fur (maybe faux fur?) brim studded with tiny grey cut feathers to attend the 130th anniversary ceremony of the Japanese Red Cross Society in Yamanashi.
Also on Thursday, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted a tea party for 600 people at Kyoto Imperial Palace. Empress Masako’s pale blue hat has a lovely wave sculpted into the upturned brim. Later that day, she wore a cream hat with short, kettle brim with wide, double layered peach silk hatband for her and the emperor’s return to Tokyo.


The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Gently waved shape on this burgundy felt formed cap by Italian brand Galia et Peter
Wonderful white saucer of free-hand wired roses by Australian milliner Lisa Hughes
Absolutely exquisite feather work on this deep inky blue percher by UK-based milliner Guilia Mio
Such a lovely shape on this camel felt upturned brim design by British milliner Jane Taylor
Love the sparkling beaded veil on this black felt boater by Irish milliner Aiofe Harrison
Sunrise on a hat! Orange and red straw, crin and floral percher by Australian brand Locopa Designs
Fantastic movement on this charcoal felt percher with flying tails by British milliner Dillon Wallwork

And from Australian milliner Georgia Skelton, this lilac straw pyramid shaped hat with jaw-droppinghandmade open lattice brim.



Princess Aiko turns 18 tomorrow and to celebrate, the Imperial court released this video.
And because a giggle is always welcome, we end this week with a delightful anecdote told by Lady Pamela Hicks about her aging former Nanny and the Queen.
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A rather good Nanny story-

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Photos from social media as indicated