Tag Archives: Princess Hisako

Imperial Enthronement: Ceremony

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The main element in Tuesday’s Imperial Enthronement was the Sokuirei-Seiden-no-Gi, an official proclamation ceremony where the new emperor announces to domestic and foreign audiences that he has ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne.

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This ceremony took place inside the Imperial Palace before a large audience. Emperor Naruhito again appeared in sokutai robes, this time in the dark rust-brown colour reserved for his role, and the distinctive black kanmuri hat.

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Empress Masako wore a traditional “junihitoe” multi-layered kimono which dates back to the Heian Era (794 to 1185). In white, silver, red, coral,  purple, pale peach and green, the kimono is regal and dramatic, especially paired with the the elaborate sculpted sweeping ponytail that is worn with this costume along with a triple pronged golden headpiece.

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Crown Prince Fumihito wore saffron orange sokutai robes and a black kanmuri hat.

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The Imperial princesses also wore the traditional junihitoe with Crown Princess Kiko in shades of red, pink, orange, gold, white and purple, with a top robe in slate navy and the others in layers of green, navy, red, burgundy, yellow and white with a top robe in royal purple. Each wore the traditional spiky gold headpieces atop the costume’s dramatic hairstyle.

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Crown Princess Kiko

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Princess Kako and Princess Mako

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Princess Hanako

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Princess Hanako and Princess Nobuko in front; Princesses Akiko, Yoko, Hisako and Tsuguko in back

On their own, these spiky headpieces and tall hats seem so unusual but somehow, they add to the grandeur and strong sense of history at these events.

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Next up, we’ll look at the hats worn by royal guests.

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Imperial Enthronement: Morning Court Rituals

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On Tuesday, the Enthronement of Emperor Naruhito took place with a series of ceremonies at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Empress Masako was spotted arriving at the palace early in the morning in a sleek,  unembellished bumper hat covered in a warm shade of ivory silk.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: uncertain. I think it may be same hat was worn May 7, 2019; Mar 20, 2019; Jan 7, 2019; Dec 27, 2018

The day began with the ‘Sokuirei-Tojitsu-Kashikodokoro-Omae-no-Gi’ ceremony held at the Kashikodokoro Shrine within the Imperial Sanctuaries where Emperor Naruhito ceremonially announced the enthronement ceremony, which would shortly follow. For this event, the emperor wore traditional sokutai robes in white linen specifically cultivated for this event and a tall, black kanmuri hat.


Empress Masako wore a white and peach jūnihitoe, a formal ancient kimono, with multiple (at least 12) complex layers. The traditional costume includes a specific and rather distinctive hairstyle and triple pronged silver headpiece, worn just over the forehead.

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This ceremony was attended by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, select government officials and members of the Imperial royal family. The imperial princesses followed a traditional court dress code of gowns with ivory hats.

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Princess Kiko, Princess Mako, and Princess Kako all chose bumper designs with slightly different brim shapes and trimming.

While Princess Yoko was also in a cream silk bumper hat, her sister, Princess Akiko made a slightly different statement in a pillbox with textured vertical pinstripes, trimmed with a slim band around the middle of the hat that tried in a bow at the back.

The most interesting hats were, again, worn by the Takamado princesses. Princess Hisako’s bumper variation featured less structured sides that draped into some lovely movement. Princess Tsuguko was the only one to wear a brimmed design, trimmed with a slim bow at the front.

While I understand that a string of ivory hats might not seem exciting to western fashion sensibilities, I think there’s something serenely compelling and regal about it.

Photos from Getty as indicated and Sankei News

This Week’s Extras

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Back in September, Princess Hisako opened an exhibition at the Yokohama Museum of Art in a hat with cream straw crown and olive straw brim with interesting hatband of flattened vertical straw loops.
On Monday, Empress Masako attended the 70th anniversary of the National Rehabilitation System in a sleek, pale grey suit with matching short-brimmed hat
On Tuesday, Princess Akiko presided over national self defense awards in a repeated ecru silk-covered cloche hat with upturned kettle brim and wide hatband. The same day, Princess Mako attended the closing ceremony of the 74th National Sports Festival in Ibaraki in an ivory bowler hat variation with pale blue hatband tied in a side bow.
Prince Albert’s daughter, Jazmin Grimaldi, shared several portraits this week wearing an orange fedora.
The Duke of Gloucester sported a dapper green fedora during his visit to  Morocco last week. Today, the Duchess of Gloucester repeated a cuffed black velvet hat with silk bow and the Countess of Ulster wore a veiled pillbox for the opening of parliament today (the Earl and Countess’ son, Lord Culloden, was one of the Queen’s four pages).


Queen Elizabeth arrived for the opening of Parliament in the incredible diamond and pearl George IV Diadem she wears for this event each year (read more about it over at The Royal Collection). She chose not to wear the Imperial State Crown this year- understandable, given its heavy weight. The Duchess of Cornwall sparkled in her go-to Greville tiara (sometimes known as the Boucheron Honeycomb tiara. You can read an excellent history of this tiara here).
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The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Wonderfully trimmed fedoras in camel, yellow and mustard from British brand John Boyd Millinery

Bold black and cream striped waved discs by Spanish-based British milliner Donna Hartley
Emerald button percher with statement pheasant feather trim by British brand Rebecca Couture Millinery
Beautiful hand draping on this camel felt design (proof beige isn’t always boring!) by British milliner Jane Taylor
Magenta straw bowler with silk brim and ombre ruffled trim by Australian milliner Rachel Henry
Stunning gold beaded halo bandeau headpiece with twist from Australian milliner Marilyn Van den Berg

And from Irish milliner Carol Kennelly, this utterly fantastic black percher with shooting stars.

After last Monday’s announcement that children of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine have been removed from the Royal House of Sweden (along with their HRH titles) and will be free to pursue private lives, was endorsed by both the prince and princess with sharing of new family photos.
Turns out the lovely new photos of Princess Elisabeth, one which was turned into a stamp released on her 18th birthday, were taken by her dad.

Photos from social media as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Last Sunday, Queen Elizabeth repeated her cornflower blue hat with black trim and spiky grey feather flower to attend Sunday morning service at Crathie Kirk. The Duchess of Cornwall repeated her tan beret with pheasant feather trim.

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Princess Hisako attended the Japan Sports Masters Tournament (for athletes over age 35) on Monday and Tuesday. Monday, she repeated a white hat with pork pie crown and wide brim edged in a black stripe with floral trim on the side. Tuesday, she wore a black straw hat with trilby-style raised back brim and wide, ecru-striped hatband. On Thursday, she repeated her ivory small brimmed, lace-covered hat with side bow for the 130th anniversary of the Japanese Red Cross Society in Gifu.. Yesterday, she wore this brimmed design to attend the Regional Traditional Performing Arts National Convention in Nara.

The Imperial emperor and empress attended the 74th National Sports Festival’s opening ceremony in Hitachinaka yesterday. Empress Masako repeated a white brimmed hat with wide royal blue silk hatband.

Queen Elizabeth was joined for church this morning in Scotland by the Snowdon family. The Queen repeated an angular lime straw cloche with navy stripe around the brim and a mass of straw leaves in the two colours on the side. The Countess of Snowdon wore a sculpted beret in a fantastic shade of saffron felt, trimmed with a gold brooch while Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones donned a chic dark denim blue felt fedora with navy hatband.
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A new book by Angela Kelly was released today that will undoubtedly, be filled with many great looks at her designs (and hats made by Stella McLaren, the in-house milliner on Kelly’s design team). I now know what’s on the top of my Christmas wish list!

The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Alpaca gives a cruelty-free and sustainable option for fur hats and this teal one from Peruvian Connection is wonderful
Red felt calot with wide ruffle and bling-y brooch trim from British brand Rebecca Couture Millinery
Very fun blue patterned pillbox hat with retro proportions by Australian milliner Karen Bailey
Loden green silk ribbon bandeau with veil from British milliner Rachel Trevor Morgan
Love unexpected coral and burgundy scheme of this straw brimmed design by Dutch milliner Myra van de Korput
Ivory felt sculpted hat with crown of folded swirls trimmed with crystals by Israeli milliner Orit Aviezer
From Stephen Jones’ new spring 2020 collection, this gravity-defying black hat with crisp white stripes

And these two green beauties from British milliners- first, from  Dorothy Morant, a hand blocked cloche in printed felt with extended brim and stunning pleated velvet ribbon trim (clearly, the Downton Abbey movie is on my mind) and second, from Carrie Jenkinson, this emerald felt saucer percher with amazing half pinwheel of statement twists.


It was so lovely to become better acquainted with this new, very sweet royal face this week
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Prince Harry took a poignant walk in Angola down the same path his mother walked, 22 years ago.

We end the week with the Dutch king, clearly enjoying his visit today to the Motocross of Nations at the TT Assen
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Photos from social media as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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On Wednesday, Crown Princess Kiko wore a beige silk covered pillbox to visit the emperor and empress emeritus on the occasion of her birthday
A salmon pink sculpted bumper hat on Princess Hisako on Thursday to open the The Okura Tokyo hotel.


Earl of Wessex in a fedora yesterday in Bundeena, Australia on a walk with local high school children on a new Royal National Park national trail, opened to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.
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Queen Elizabeth in a repeated Angela Kelly magenta boater hat to attend church in Scotland this morning
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Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence and Princess Anne in casual hats to watch Zara Tindall compete in the Gatcombe Horse Trials at Gatcombe Park this weekend
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Brace yourselves- there’s a LONG list of fantastic new millinery designs that caught my eye this week:

Such a pretty magnolia flower headpiece by milliner Australian milliner Meredith McMaster
Exquisite saucers with statement silk ruffles in muted pink and purple by Australian milliner Rachel Henry
Ecru felt teardrop beret with soaring pheasant feathers anchored with pearls by Irish milliner Sophie Hunter
Sunshine yellow straw wide-brimmed bergère hat with statement feather by Australian brand Peacock Millinery
Black guipure lace bandeau with Swarovski crystals by American brand Bay Willow Design
For our gents, the most handsome midnight blue beaver felt fedora by Hornskov København
Fantastic gold and black printed, pleated turban with curling trim by Australian milliner Sandy Aslett
Whimsical pink hat with scalloped straw ribbon brim (and a dragonfly!) by Belgian milliner Amélie D’Hooghvorst
Mint green teardrop percher with flowers and white crin swirl by Irish brand Noeleen Designer Hats
Grey and pink sinamay and parasisal boater hat with woven crown from Australian milliner Jo Marree
Classic red felt brimmed hat stunning silk hatband from Belorussian milliner Olga Lumiere
Tasmania-based milliner Meghan Briton’s statement take on a white pillbox with black bow 
Pink textured sinamay based percher with wonderful floral trim by Aussie brand Locopa Designs
More pompoms (!!) on this fantastical design by Canadian milliner David Dunkley 

And two stunners to show here-  from Irish milliner Aoife Kirwan a percher in Irish linen beautifully embroidered with the country’s floral and fauna and from Australian milliner Alana English, a sky blue design with curving crown pleat, windowpane sinamay brim, pink hatband and spiky pink feather poufs.


A new exhibit at The Hermitage Amsterdam opens today featuring jewels of the Imperial Russian court, including this amazing brooch worn by Elizabeth (1741-62), Empress of Russia
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Princess Nobuko suffered a first lumbar vertebral fracture in a fall this week. I’m sure you join me in wishing her a speedy recovery, especially as she reportedly wants to attend the upcoming Imperial Enthronement.
Some lovely new portraits of Crown Princess Kiko, released for her 53rd birthday
And we end the week with a new royal hat wearer- Prince Amadeo of Belgium and his wife Elisabetta welcomed a son, Maximillian

Photos from social media as indicated