Tag Archives: Princess Victoria

This Week’s Extras

Posted on by

Princess Beatrice rang in Chinese New Year in a pearl trimmed Zara bandeau
Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Sofia in streamlined black hats (and headpiece) on Tuesday for the funeral of Dagmar von Arbin


On Wednesday, Queen Elizabeth wore a silk headscarf for an engagement- something we don’t often see her do. She officially opened the new Wolferton Pumping Station 72 years after father, King George VI, opened the original station on February 2, 1948.
Embed from Getty Images
On Thursday, King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia were in warm winter hats for the Jokkmokk Fair in northern Sweden
Queen Margrethe repeated her smart navy wool covered hat with tartan hatband by Mathilde Thoe Førster yesterday to open the new Copenhagen Museum
The following new millinery designs caught my (and my mum’s !) eyes this week:
Fantastical floral wire vine headpiece made of recycled plastic by Australian milliner Brea Moreland
Ochre straw retro mushroom brimmed hat with blue silk bowed hatband by UK brand Gillys MIllinery
Red straw beret percher with feather flowers and wired crin loops by British milliner Rosie Olivia

And two to highlight- the first, from British milliner Marissa Groom, is a cream straw button percher with pastel sinamay flames and rows of cream ruffles. The second, from Japanese brand Maxim, is a brown felt design with cut felt feather hatband and woven chain detail around the brim edge.


The Danish monarchy released new portraits of Crown Princess Mary and Princess Marie to celebrate their respective birthdays this week


Sweet new family portrait of Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel and family (I think Princess Estelle’s hairbow is from Livly)
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8SCFxAn2Rv/
We end this week with an interesting clip of Queen Elizabeth, shared this week on the anniversary of her accession.

Photos from Getty Images and social media as indicated

Imperial Enthronement: Foreign Royal Guests

Posted on by

Tuesday’s enthronement ceremony was attended by a number of royal events adorned in either national costume or traditional century court dress, giving the wonderfully formal gown-and-hat combination we don’t often see.

Queen Máxima donned a familiar slate blue gown in transparent silk brocade printed with large roses  but paired it with a different hat than we’ve seen with it before- her grey silk floral and dotted net tulle statement headpiece. The scale and bold design of the headpiece pairs wonderfully with the gown, elevating the sense of drama and gravitas of the overall ensemble.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Gown by Natan.
Previously Worn: Nov 4, 2014; November 19, 2005

Queen Mathilde was wonderfully elegant in a an exquisite gown, cape and pillbox trio in pale pink silk crepe. The clean, sleek lines of each piece make them balance perfectly together and create a serene and quietly regal look. It’s a fashion philosophy we often see used with the Imperial royal ladies- perhaps the inspiration or influence for this ensemble?

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Designer: unknown. Gown by Armani Prive. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new. It is not the same as the felt calot worn February 6, 2014 as some blogs are reporting. 

Queen Letizia paired her bright, floral gown with a divided bandeau headpiece in pale, dusky pink silk. The scale is great on her and the solid colour is a great choice against her patterned dress, although I thought the bandeau’s construction, with many visible stitches, wasn’t quite up to snuff.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Nana Golmar. It is a bespoke silk version of the velvet “Iria Headband“. Gown by Matilde Cano.
Previously Worn: this headpiece is new

Crown Princess Mary’s muted lilac-grey caped dress was brightened with mulberry straw hat. The modified saucer  is worn at a steep incline and trimmed with two huge silk flowers on the underside of the raised brim, the one at the front in mixed shades of purple. Supremely elegant on its own, I think this gown is again, elevated with the statement hat – not to mention those rubies!

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

View this post on Instagram

🇯🇵 I Japan regerer kejseren i sin egen tidsæra, og når en ny kejser bestiger Krysantemumtronen i Tokyo, begynder en ny. Således indledte Deres Majestæter Kejser Naruhito og Kejserinde Masako af Japan den 1. maj i år tidsæraen Reiwa, der blandt andet betyder fortræffelig, orden og harmoni. Tronskiftet i Japan markeres i disse dage i hovedstaden Tokyo, hvor Kronprinsparret deltager i en række ceremonier og arrangementer. I morges dansk tid dannede Kejserpaladset ramme om den officielle tronskifteceremoni ”sokui no rei”, hvor Kejser Naruhito fik overrakt de kejserlige regalier under overværelse af kongelige fra hele Europa samt stats- og regeringschefer fra flere lande. Under ceremonien blev der placeret kasser ved siden af Kejseren, som indeholder et sværd og en juvel, der ifølge legenden strammer fra forfaderen til Japans første Kejser, Jimmu, der havde sin regeringstid for over 2.700 år siden. Sammen med et ottekantet spejl udgør de Japans kronregalier. Sværdet og juvelen har aldrig været vist offentligt, da de betragtes som hellige.

A post shared by DET DANSKE KONGEHUS 🇩🇰 (@detdanskekongehus) on

Designer: Jane Taylor. Gown by Valentino
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Crown Princess Victoria wore a straw saucer hat in the same saturated inky purple shade as her gown. The piece, also designed to sit at a sharply tilted angle on the head, is lavishly trimmed with silk roses and straw twists beneath the raised brim, a touch that gives such textural contrast to the opposite, very smooth upper side of the saucer.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Philip Treacy. Gown by Escada.
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Seated next to Crown Princess Victoria was a face new to Royal Hats, Swazi King Mswati III’s newest wife, Inkhosikati LaMashwama. She topped her white suit with a vibrant blue straw hat with disc base trimmed with rolled straw rosettes and large bow loops, blue tulle, purple cut feathers and pearls, scattered over the base.

Embed from Getty Images

I know some readers have been waiting days to discuss the hats in this post (my apologies for the delay) so I turn it over to you- what millinery looks here were your favourites?

Embed from Getty Images

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Swedish Royals Attend Opening Of Parliament

Posted on by

The Swedish Royal Family arrived at the Swedish Parliament House in Stockholm this morning to take part in the opening of the new parliamentary session

Embed from Getty Images

The family, led by the king and queen, dressed in the black and white dress code traditionally associated with this event (well, most of them did but we’ll get to that, shortly!). Queen Silvia repeated her white straw calot hat with back bow and net tulle veil. The beehive shaped hat is wrapped in stripes of straw, giving the design texture and dimension in addition to a distinctive shape. It’s not my favourite hat in Silvia’s wardrobe but integrates very well with her hairstyle.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Mode Rosa
Previously Worn: Sep 4, 2017; Apr 24, 2016; Jun 6, 2014; Sep 8, 2013; May 10, 2013; Apr 16, 2013

Crown Princess Victoria wore an interesting headpiece put together from two previously worn separate designs. The white triple ringed bandeau previously had a large white bloom that was removed today and in its place, Victoria’s headpiece of black and white layered butterfly bows.  I’m all for mixing millinery pieces whenever possible but there’s something incongruous about this combination, which, I’m afraid, looks like a bit of a mash-up. I wish the ringed bandeau had been repeated in its original, flower trimmed form.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Designer of the ringed headpiece: unknown (Philip Treacy made its pink twin)
Previously Worn: April 16, 2015
Designer of the Butterfly bow headpiece: Malinda Damgaard 
Previously Worn: September 13, 2016; October 19, 2015; September 15, 2015

Princess Sofia veered away from the black and white dress code with a two-piece headpiece – face framing bandeau and a separate bow worn at the base of her neck- in luxe wine velvet.  As far as bandeaus go, it’s a good one and frames Sofia’s face beautifully. The colour, however, has me scratching my own head here- yes, it’s a beautiful, painterly fall colour that looks fantastic in velvet but… I can’t believe I’m stating the obvious here… it’s not black or white. Is this the start of coloured accessories for this event? I hope so!

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Headpieces by M (Matthias Lavesson)
Previously Worn: this headpiece is new

This is one of very few annual hatted events in Sweden and leaves me curious, dearest readers- what do you think of this trio of off-the-face millinery designs?

Embed from Getty Images

Photos from Getty as indicated 

This Week’s Extras

Posted on by

On Thursday, Queen Beatrix opened the opening of the 79th session of the Institut de Droit international (IDI) in the Hague. She topped her black floral dress with a black straw hat with tall, pleated Breton style brim.
Embed from Getty Images
Princess Ingrid’s confirmation took place yesterday in the Chapel of the Royal Palace in Oslo. For this milestone, she, Crown Princess Mette Marit, Queen Sonja and Princess Märtha Louise, all  wore traditional Norwegian bunads with the folk costume’s wreath-style rolled headpiece .

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Ingrid’s new bunad was a gift from her grandparents, King Harald and Queen Sonja. In a wonderfully personal touch, Queen Sonja, who was a trained dressmaker before beginning her royal life, helped create the traditional folk dress.
Embed from Getty Images

Ingrid’s godmother, Crown Princess Victoria, attended the event in a lilac silk chiffon dress with matching headpiece. of  lilac silk ribbon pleated flowers with hand beaded centers from Parant Parant Couture Headpieces by Örjan Jackobsson. Crown Princess Mary, who attended with Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Christian, wore a new folded headpiece in plum straw that wrapped around her head with a side rosette.
Embed from Getty Images

Today, Princess Kako attended a memorial service for victims of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake at the Metropolitan Memorial Hall in Tokyo. She wore a sedate black silk covered hat with wide hatband and short kettle brim.

Also today, Queen Elizabeth was joined by Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence for Sunday service at Crathie Kirk in Scotland. The Queen repeated a raspberry Rachel Trevor Morgan hat with sidesweeping short brim and felt feather trim. Princess Anne wore a new brown felt trilby with extended brim and what looks like a spray of feathers on the side by Amy Morris-Adams, different from  the very similar brown trilby with side bow she wore for the first time LAST Sunday.

Embed from Getty Images
The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Sleek olive green felt cloche with metallic gold hatband from Melbourne brand Contempromental Millinery
White straw boater hat with lace overlaid brim by German brand MATAdesign
Pale blue straw capulet with lime hatband and navy honeycomb veil from Dutch milliner Wies Mauduit
Exquisitely dramatic black lace headpiece by UK-based Italian milliner Guilia Mio
Pink buntal button with delightful ruffled swoosh from Australian milliner Rachel Henry
Rust felt pillbox with black pleated ombre trim by British milliner Jane Taylor
White percher with swirling black feathers from British milliner George Durdy
Copper straw hat with relaxed crown, wide brim and feathers by German milliner Nicky Marquardt
Purple silk abaca turban with magenta leather orchids by Australian brand Murley and Co.
Emerald silk covered button percher with crin ovelay and gold feather by Czech milliner Jolanta Kotabova
Cream and poppy red straw hat with marvelous side sweeping brim by Dutch milliner Myra van de Korput
Fantastic black straw hat with rainbow tipped ostrich feathers by Anthony Peto Chapelier

And from Australian hat shop The Essential Hat and milliner Catherine Ellen, this sunny yellow straw picture hat with cut-out brim.

The Danish monarchy released a trio of portraits to mark Prince Nikolai’s 20th birthday
Lovely portrait of the Norwegian king, queen and crown princely family taken before the formal dinner following Princess Ingrid’s confirmation
Pierre Casiraghi was part of the sailing team for Greta Thunberg’s landmark voyage and navigated some rather rough seas.
Empress Masako and the Imperial princesses donned traditional kimonos on Friday for a palace tea party hosted for African leaders.

We end this week with an August 27 performance”The Swan” by Saint-Saëns by Empress Emerita Michiko and flutist Karl-Heinz Schütz (jump to 0:30 to start)

Photos from social media as indicated

Greek Royal Wedding 20 Years On: Norwegian & Swedish Royal Guests

Posted on by

Continuing our look back at the July 9, 1999 wedding of Princess Alexia of Greece and Carlos Quintana, we turn our attention to hats worn by members of the Norwegian and Swedish royal families. Queen Sonja topped an iridescent lime suit with a picture hat in slightly darker green straw. The hat featured a shallow, rounded crown and a wide brim with dowturned edge and was trimmed with lovely lime silk orchids.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Queen Silvia also wore a hat much larger than the styles we see her favour most often today. In dove grey straw, her picture hat’s round, flat crown topped an oversize mushroom brim. The hat was simply trimmed with a wide grey silk hat and and brim binding. With her grey ensemble, the overall look oozed elegance.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images: 

Crown Princess Victoria was just 22 at the time of this wedding and, I suspect, not yet a customer of couture hats. Her slouchy brown stitched hat followed an hourglass shape (popular at the time) with upturned Kettle brim and bow on the side.

Embed from Getty Images 

Princess Madeleine wore a pink sinamay hat. The hat’s boater style crown was covered in pleated rows of crin and the cartwheel brim, in a relaxed crin ruffle overlay. The hat’s classic shape in light crin embellishment made a sweet and feminine choice for the teenage princess, even if the trailing bow down the back was a bit twee.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Some of you have commented on the large number of picture hats at this wedding and the two added here were among my favourites. What do you think of these hats?

Photos from Getty as indicated