Tag Archives: Queen Elizabeth

Monday Multiples: Queen Elizabeth

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Thanks to Jimbo for providing the introduction and background research for this “Monday Multiples” series.

Jimbo’s Introduction: SIMPLY MAUVE-lous! Even though Queen Elizabeth looks great in practically every color imaginable, there is no disputing how wonderful and regal she appears in ANY shade of purple! Here is a fantastic pair of hats, both of which could have been pinched from Queen Maxima’s closet!  Two hats, two suits/coats – three combinations for all to enjoy.

Look #1: Mauve widely woven straw ruched toque hat with silk flowers on the side, worn with a grey, gold and mauve floral printed skirt and blouse and a mauve crepe coat worn March 17, 2000 in Australia, May 09, 2000 on the Millenium Bridge Walkway and June 9, 2001 at the Epsom races

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Look #2: Mauve straw hat with tall crown, sidesweeping brim and large twist trim worn with a solid dress and patterned jacket worn  June 23, 2000 to Royal Ascot and November 14, 2001 to Goodenough College in London

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Look #3: The blouse, skirt and coat from Look #1 with the hat from Look #2 worn June 06, 2002 to a London Hindu Temple

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Which combination to you think works best?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hats to 57 years ago this weekend when Queen Elizabeth attended Crathie Church (as she did today) in this salmon pink turban with lace, net veil and bow trim.

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This Week’s Extras

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Princess Akiko in a pale grey repeated bucket hat with kettle brim at the National Junior High School Selection Shogi Championship in Yamagata August 3
On Saturday, August 3, Princess Hisako was in Teshikaga for the “Starry Sky Town, Blue Sky Town” National Convention. She wore a very interesting ivory hat with short brim, coral hatband and tall ivory wrap around the crown that fluted into the shape of a flower.
On Sunday, August 4, she attended the closing ceremony of a national Sea Cadet convention in Tokyo. The blue hat she wore is trimmed with a twist in the same printed fabric as her suit, a slim navy twisted hatband and layered, textured leaves in jade, magenta, chocolate, blue and cream. The scale and shape are so great on her and I adore the pop of colour!


On Tuesday, August 6, Queen Elizabeth officially took up summer residence at Balmoral Castle, inspecting the Balaklava Company, 5 Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland at the castle gates. She repeated a Rachel Trevor Morgan designed hat first worn last summer– this outing gives a much better view of the silk crepe covered cloche with double hatband (love the punchy contrast of the black hatband) and handmade flowers.
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On Wednesday, August 7, Empress Masako, Crown Princess Kiko, Princess Hanako and Princess Nobuko attended the Florence Nightingale Medal Ceremony, which honors nurses. Empress Masako’s white silk covered bowler features a wide hatband of appliqued lace, Crown Princess Kiko’s ecru hat with mushroom brim is covered in the same jacquard floral print as her suit, Princess Hanako’s repeated white straw hat has a cuffed brim in silk crepe that is slightly elevated on one side and Princess Nobuko’s white hat has a crisply contrasting wide navy silk hatband. You can see these hats in motion at this video clip.


On Thursday, August 8, Prince George and Princess Charlotte attended the King’s Cup Regatta in Cowes to watch the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge take part in the race. While his parents donned informal baseball hats, Prince George was slightly more commanding in his naval cap.
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On Saturday, August 10th, Princess Tsuguko of Takamado attended the archery finals of the Inter-High School General Sports Championships in Yatsushiro in a striking black and white straw hat.


On Sunday, August 11, members of Queen Elizabeth’s family joined her for Sunday morning service at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral in Scotland. The Queen repeated an Angela Kelly designed cream square-crowned cloche with thick hatband in the same pink striped bouclé as her matching suit, trimmed with a pink silk rose. The Duchess of Cornwall repeated a dark mushroom grey formed felt beret trimmed with pheasant feathers. Princess Beatrice of York repeated a cream Gina Foster beret percher trimmed with navy silk flowers and veil.
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Empress Masako in an angular grey silk hat with bumper brim and small bow at the back on Thursday at a WWII commemoration ceremony
Princess Hisako in a pale celery green hat with appliqued lace covered crown and rolled crin brim today to open a new field hockey stadium for next year’s Olympic summer games (notice her field hockey stick necklace!)
Queen Elizabeth attended a craft fair at Crathie Kirk in Scotland today, finally giving us a great view of the turquoise straw hat with double hatband and bows she wore, also in Scotland, back in 2017. Clearly a Rachel Trevor Morgan design, I really like the contrasting stripes on the bow ribbon tails which tie in with Her Majesty’s skirt
1940s inspired hat with deeply pinched black crown and ivory mushroom brim by Australian milliner Carole Maher
Lime sinamay abstract leaf headpiece with ivory bow by Spanish-based British milliner Donna Hartley
Teal button percher with veil, curled quills and multicoloured silk flowers by British milliner Bee Smith
Amazing texture and volume on this ecru silk abaca ruffled bandeau by Australian milliner Rachel Henry
Blush sinamay sidesweep with rose and black feathers and black butterflies by British milliner Bundle MacLaren
Fantastic open-crowned hat covered in red flowers by Irish brand Suzanne Ryan Millinery
Creative take on a classic black and white boater (love the textured brim!) by Australian Brand Monroe Millinery
Tangerine sinamay hat with button base edged in a wide, sleek ruffle by Dutch milliner Myra van de Korput
Raspberry pink straw teardrop beret percher with plume and multicoloured flower by UK brand Miss Ginny Millinery
Teal felt Garbo hat with amazing black embroidered brim by American milliner Behida Dolić
Ivory braided straw vintage Dior-inspired hat with black veil and ribbon by Australian milliner Jill Humphries
Oversize ice blue saucer with irredescent blue and silver floral trim by UK brand Guibert Millinery
Pink pyramid of ombre dyed silk round petals trimmed with an ostrich plume by London milliner Awon Golding
Pale apricot sinamay hat with flying bow and quill by Czech milliner Jolana Kotabova
For our dear gents, a patterned Panama from Christys Hats and deep blue felt fedora from Hornskov København
Wonderful rosette bandeau of sage silk taffeta and blush silk organza by Prudence for Lock & Co. Hatters
And from Dutch milliner Wies Mauduit, this fabulous grape sinamay percher with pink and scarlet twist. Colourful hats can be difficult to balance but this one is perfect, remaining firmly stylish and modern (no cartoonishness here!). It’s also impeccably finished- note the complete absence of visible seams and crisp edges on the two-toned twist.  So fun!

Condolences to the Dutch royal family as they grieve the loss of Princess Christina (Princess Beatrix’s youngest sister) who died yesterday after a battle with bone cancer. Plans are for a private memorial with her cremated remains going to Fagel’s Garden Pavilion on the grounds of Noordeinde Palace. Read a statement and obituary from the Dutch monarchy here. 
Lovely informal shots of the Spanish Royal Family taken while on their annual vacation in Palma de Mallorca.
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Adorable picture of Lady Sarah McCorquodale and her daughter Celia taken during preparations for Celia’s wedding last summer, for which she wore the Spencer family tiara.
Countess Josephine of Rosenborg (daughter of the late Count Christian of Rosenborg) and Kenneth Schmidt were married on August 8
In an interesting move, the Imperial Household Agency released footage of former Princess Noriko’s music and dance performances (she is an accomplished ballerina), taken before she married. They also announced that her younger sister, the former Princess Ayako, and her husband Kei Moriya are expecting their first child.
We end this week with adorable photos of Princess Anne’s four granddaughters Savannah, Isla, Mia and Lena, enjoying the Festival of British Eventing the first weekend of August at their grandmum’s estate, Gatcombe Park
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Photos from social media as indicated

Unusual Color Scheme?

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This week’s discussion question has us diving back into Queen Elizabeth’s millinery closet. It’s going to be a colourful discussion as we explore, dearest readers, which one of her hats contains the most unusual (or unique) combination of colours? 

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A tutti fruitti angular cloche at Royal Ascot in 2009 and a lilac & turquoise hat at a 2008 palace garden party

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Monday Multiples: Queen Elizabeth

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Thanks to Jimbo for providing the introduction and background research for this “Monday Multiples” series.

Jimbo’s Introduction: On April 21, 1986, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 60th birthday by gifting US: two hats on the same day, and they couldn’t be more different!  The sunny yellow brim-less tam which matched HM’s cheerful spring coat could be seen from the Buckingham Palace balcony very easily.  For the Royal carriage ride, a black straw hat with a wonderfully unique brim was chosen – sheer and wavy.  Her Majesty chose the same ensemble two months later for the Royal Ascot, sans coat this time.  Chic and elegant.

Look #1:  Yellow stitched tam trimmed with white braid and silk flowers and leaves worn February 17, 1986 in Nepal and on April 21, 1986 on the Buckingham Palace balcony

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Look #2: Black straw crowned hat with transparent, waved brim also worn on April 21, 1986 and on June 18, 1986 to Royal Ascot

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It’s not often that the Queen changes hats half way through an event. Which hat do you prefer most with this yellow coat?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Greek Royal Wedding 20 Years On: British Royal Guests

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The British royals have long been close with their Greek royal cousins (the Duke of Edinburgh was, after all, a Greek prince by birth) and as such, several members attended Princess Alexia’s wedding in London in 1999. Queen Elizabeth wore a yellow and white silk jacquard dress and jacket with the same fabric covering the crown and binding the brim of her cream straw hat.

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The hat’s sideswept brim gave the design jaunty air and shape which, without the sunny polka dots, seems like it could be fashionably worn today.

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The Duchess of Gloucester wore a cornflower blue hat with flat crown and gently upturned brim overlayed in a swath of dotted net tulle veil in the same shade.

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Princess Alexandra wore an ecru straw hat with tall crown and cartwheel brim embellished with all-cream trimmings- a wide silk hatband with flat bow, widely woven ivory net veil, and silk flower. I believe it is the only hat worn at this wedding that we still see in regular rotation (worn most recently last summer).

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Princess Michael of Kent wore a cream hat in lattice woven straw with tall sidesweep over the hat’s crown, simply trimmed with a slim hat and that tied in a side bow. The shape and patterned straw enabled this hat to make a great statement despite its neutral colour and modest size.

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Lady Elizabeth Anson, Queen Elizabeth’s cousin through the Bowes-Lyon side of her family, played a major role as The event’s coordinator. She wore a large red straw hat with wide pleated silk hatband and cream and red straw flowers that wrapped around the front of the hat.

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Lord Romsey was photographed at the wedding– I suspect Lady Penney Romsey (as was Countess Mountbatten of Burma’s title at the time) also attended although I can’t locate any photos of her. Maybe one of you can help?

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Monday Multiples: Queen Elizabeth

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Thanks to Jimbo for providing the introduction and background research for this “Monday Multiples” series.

Jimbo’s Introduction: Whether Queen Elizabeth wears her hat brim down or up, she is the picture of beauty in this fuchsia and white ensemble.  Taking a hat from 1999 (Look #1), she reworked it with a new outfit in 2008 (Look #2), then replaced it with a new hat in 2009 (Look #3). As always, Her Majesty looks fantastic each time around!

Look #1: Pink hat in silk covered straw with tall crown and mushroom brim with pleated hatband, trimmed with wide pink and floral twists on the side worn November 8, 1999 in Ghana

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Look #2: Same hat with floral twists removed and replaced with a large magenta flower and pinwheel of white goose biot feathers worn on May 15, 2008 during a state visit to Istanbul

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Look #3: With a magenta straw Rachel Trevor Morgan hat with sidesweeping brim, sloped crown, folded white straw hatband, multi-looped side bow and arrow trimmed feathers worn on June 17, 2009 at Ascot, on June 4, 2011 at the Epsom races, on May 6, 2016 to celebrate the 475th anniversary of Berkhamsted School and on May 28, 2017 to attend church at Balmoral 

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It’s an interesting look at how Her Majesty updates her fashion and while Look #3 is my favourite, Looks #1 and #2 make great statements for their time. Which combination of hat and outfits here do you think works best?

Photos from Getty as indicated