Tag Archives: Princess Victoria

Swedish Royals Welcome Chilean President

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The King and Queen of Sweden welcomed Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to the Royal Palace in Stockholm today for the start of a three day state visit. While I originally thought her bright coral pinks hat and suit were new, they have indeed been worn before (thanks Lex!)

Queen Silvia, May 10, 2016 | Royal Hats

The rounded calot hat is covered in the same textured fabric as her suit and trimmed simply with a multi-looped bow on the side. While the calot shape is very familiar to her, this shade is a more difficult one that not many can carry and I think Silvia wears it very well.

Queen Silvia, May 10, 2016 | Royal Hats   Queen Silvia, May 10, 2016 | Royal Hats

Queen Silvia, May 10, 2016 | Royal Hats   Queen Silvia, May 10, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unconfirmed
Previously Worn: April 17, 2012

Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Sophia both suspended their maternity leaves to join in the official welcome. Princess Victoria topped a pink frock with her pale pinky-mauve headpiece of interlooped rings with huge silk bloom on the side (some of you will remember this piece from Princess Leonore’s christening where it made a sweet connection to the past). I adore this dramatic piece on Victoria and it’s pairing today with a simpler dress made showed it off, beautifully.

Crown Princess Victoria, May 10, 2016 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats   Crown Princess Victoria, May 10, 2016 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats

Crown Princess Victoria, May 10, 2016 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats

Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: June 8, 2014

Princess Sofia topped her simple cream dress with a cocktail hat in natural straw. With a flat base, the piece’s focus is entirely on its trim of multiple straw bow loops and a tall feather spine. During this first year of her royal life, we have seen Sofia in small fascinators and today’s cocktail hat is her first experiment with more substantial millinery. It’s a neutral piece but the shape and scale work well for Sofia and she wears it so wonderfully that I caught myself wishing she had worn it for the King’s birthday last weekend. The pop of colour brought to her ensemble by her shoes is a fun touch.

Princess Sofia, May 10, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unconfirmed
Previously Worn: This hat is new

2016-05-10 Chilean state visit 3

In recent months, we’ve seen the Swedish Princesses favour fascinators and I was happy to see more substantial pieces of millinery top their elegant ensembles today. What do you think of this trio of Swedish royal hats?

Photos by Getty as indicated; Stella Pictures; IBL, IBL, and IBL

Birthday Celebration Of Swedish King

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Festivities for the 70th birthday of King Carl Gutaf IX continued today with schedule of daytime events that included a Te Deum Thanksgiving Service at the Royal Palace, Armed Forces tribute, choral tribute and cortege, and lunch hosted by the City of Stockholm.

As expected, the day’s events saw new millinery worn by the Swedish royal ladies. Queen Silvia wore a large picture hat with mushroom-shaped brim in pale pink straw. The hat’s small, rounded crown was trimmed in a ring of pink silk that knotted at the side into a flying silk and straw bow. It’s a much larger hat than we’re used to seeing on Silvia but the size seemed to convey the importance of the occasion.

Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Crown Princess Victoria topped her striped dress and white coat with a white straw hat. The hat featured an angular , off-centred peak at the top of the crown (very similar to this hat), and a diagonally upfolded brim. A pleated band of black patent leather finished the piece, circling round the base of the crown and ending in an elaborate ringed knot at the side. The angular lines of the piece work well on Victoria and while I didn’t like the hat in combination with the coat, it’s a great topper to her striped dress. We can’t forget wee Prince Oscar, who made his official début in a blue knitted cap.

Designer: Philip Treacy desicn OC-153 from SS 2016
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Princess Sofia topped her pale pink dress and white coat with a headpiece of silk roses and pale green velvet leaves. While she undoubtedly is focused these days on her brand new son, Prince Alexander, I would have preferred to see her in something more than these few faux blooms.

Princess Sofia, April 30, 2016 | Royal Hats   Princess Sofia, April 30, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new. 

The other ‘blooming’ hat at this event was worn by Princess Madeleine. Her percher hat featured a sculptured saucer in black straw edged in white windowpane sinamay. The tall, fluted side of the hat was trimmed with huge silk cabbage roses in the same pale pink as her coat. This is a far more bold and dramatic hat than Madeleine usually chooses and it would have been a home run without those two unfortunately placed black appliqué flowers on the neckline of her dress. How I want to take a scissors to those things.

Designer: Philip Treacy design OC-109 from SS 2016
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Such large, hatted events happen only a few times per year and it is wonderful to see the spirit of fun and celebration that was undoubtedly part of the day, also visible in these hats. Which ones stood out to you?

Swedish Royals Welcome New Prince

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On Friday, a Te Deum was held in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace to celebrate the arrival of Prince Alexander, son of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia. The baby’s grandmother, Queen Silvia, repeated her pleated white straw calot hat with back bow and white net veil for the occasion. Calots work so well on Queen Silvia and while I might have preferred something in a warmer colour with her ecru suit, this piece worked well enough.

Queen Silvia, April 22, 2016 in Mode Rosa | Royal Hats  Queen Silvia, April 22, 2016 in Mode Rosa | Royal Hats

Designer: Mode Rosa
Previously Worn: June 6, 2014; September 8, 2013; May 10, 2013; April 16, 2013 

Crown Princess Victoria wore the most unusual piece of the day, a giant double bow fascinator in pale pink straw. I have been trying to think of something nice to say about this piece…. and I cannot. Before I set off on a tirade about how juvenile, costumey and downright horrible this piece is, let me say that Victoria’s lace dress and pink coat are lovely. If only she had paired a different hat (such as this wonderful Philip Treacy picture hat) with them.

Crown Princess Victoria, April 22, 2016 | Royal Hats  Crown Princess Victoria, April 22, 2016 | Royal Hats

Crown Princess Victoria, April 22, 2016 | Royal Hats  Crown Princess Victoria, April 22, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown. Coat from LK Bennett, blouse and skirt from Baum und Pferdgarten
Previously Worn: This piece is new
Countess Marianne Bernadotte was colourfully dressed in a red bumper hat to match her red and navy suit. The hat, with its low crown and rolled brim, was simply trimmed with a navy veil. While I don’t particularly like the ensemble, it coordinates well and the hat shape and scale works nicely with Marianne’s hairstyle.
Countess Marianne Bernadotte, April 22, 2016 | Royal Hats  Countess Marianne Bernadotte, April 22, 2016 | Royal Hats
Princess Sofia’s sisters Lina Frejd and Sara Hellqvist (photographed with their grandmother, below) both wore tiny headpieces (hair ornaments, really). Their mother, Marie Hellqvist, did not wear a hat.
Lina Frejd and Sara Hellqvist, April 22, 2016 | Royal Hats
I am afraid that the hats and giant hair bow at this happy event left me disappointed. Thankfully, we have the christenings of both Prince Oscar and Prince Alexander to look forward to. I suspect both, as other recent christenings have done, will showcase some wonderful millinery. What did you think of these royal hats in Sweden?

Photos from Getty as indicated; Pontus Lundahl / TT News Agency; GTRESonline; Stella Pictures

Christening of Prince Christian, Ten Years Later

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Royal Hats  Ten years ago today, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary brought their three month old son to be christened at Christiansborg Palace Chapel.

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While it was widely expected that the wee prince’s name would follow the Danish royal tradition of alternating between the names Christian and Frederick for males in direct line to the throne, his name was not announced (as per another Danish royal tradition) until the christening ceremony. As such, royal watchers around the world tuned in to the christening to see what the little prince’s name would be. Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John did not disappoint, cooing to his mother during the service and crying heartily during the act of baptism. He was dressed in the same lace christening gown and cap used for Danish royal christenings since it was made for Christian X in 1870.

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Crown Princess Marty topped her Hugo Boss silk dress and blue jacket with a bandeau headpiece of cream silk flowers by Malene Birger (she would later repeat for the christenings of her other children). It’s a lovely design with a shape not only perfect for a christening (no brim to block view of the baby!) but that’s very flattering and wearable. What’s off here for me is the styling – the light headpiece feels off balance with the jacket and skirt, which I think would have paired better with a cocktail hat in a solid colour.  That being said, it’s a lovely headpiece that contrasts beautifully against Mary’s dark hair and added a delicate softness for this very personal event.

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Queen Margrethe wore a royal blue felt hat with rounded crown and asymmetrical upturned brim. The hat was trimmed in bias piping cut from the same fabric as her striped suit and a spray of soaring royal blue feathers. The scale of the hat was wonderful on Margrethe and the bright colour balanced her dark suit very well.

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Princess Mary’s stepmother, Susan Moody, also topped her grey suit with a vibrant hat. In red felt, the design loosely followed the shape of a cloche with a tall crown and short, bell shaped brim. In a modern twist, the squared crown of the design raised in a slight peak on one side, lending a very chic shape to the piece.
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It was no surprise that Frederik and Mary turned to royal cousins for Prince Christian’s godparents. Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway wore a simple burgundy silk headband tied at the side.

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Embed from Getty Images

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden wore a simple hat in cafe au lait coloured straw with a rounded crown and upturned brim.

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Embed from Getty Images

Prince Christian’s other godmother is Princess Mary’s sister Jane Stephens who wore a striking hat in aubergine felt with a square crown and short cartwheel brim. A metallic band and buckle around the base of the hat’s crown completed it.
Embed from Getty Images

Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Prince Joachim of Denmark were also included as godparents.

 Royal Christening, January 21, 2006| Royal Hats

I am always curious to hear your thoughts about the ‘staying power’ of royal hat designs a decade later. Which designs feel relevant to you today? Which ones do you think are best left in the past?
For a look at the hats worn by numerous other royal guests at this event, jump over to this post. 
Photo from Getty as indicated; Steen Evald via The Danish Monarchy

Best New Royal Hats of 2015

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2015 best hat small

I am so excited to share your choices for the top ten best new royal hats we saw in 2015. You have chosen very well, dearest readers, and now is time to pick a winner. In random order, here are your ten finalists (please click on any of the captions below each photo to jump back to original posts to see additional description and detail of the hats):

#1 and #2

Queen Mathilde, June 25, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats      Crown Princess Victoria, May 31, 2015 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats

Queen Mathilde in a red straw Fabienne Delvigne saucer on June 25 in China
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in a pale pink angled Philip Treacy picture hat for the Indian State Visit, May 31

#3

3.Beatrice Boromeo, May 10, 2015 | Royal Hats

Beatrice Borromeo in a natural straw hat with textured mushroom brim at the Monaco twins’ christening on May 10

#4 and #5

#7 and #8


#9 

Princess Madeleine, October 11, 2015 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats

Princess Madeleine of Sweden in a magenta silk flower and ribbon twist headpiece by Philip Treacy
for the christening of Prince Nicolas on October 11

#10

Queen Mathilde, July 21, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

Queen Mathilde in a pale blue Fabienne Delvigne picture hat with fluted brim on July 21 for Belgian National Day

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You have seen the finalists- now it is time to cast your vote. Voting will remain open until January 15 at midnight GMT and we will celebrate the winner shortly thereafter. You can vote once every twelve hours for as many hats as you wish. To make things interesting, I have hidden results until the poll is finished. Happy voting!

Photos from Getty as indicated; Philip Reynaers/Photo News S.A./Corbis; Sören Andersson / TT via The Swedish Royal Court; Eric Gaillard / Reuters; Patrick van Katwijk/dpa/Corbis, and  Patrick van Katwijk/dpa/Corbis