Last week we looked at all of the hats Queen Elizabeth wore on Christmas Day in the 20th century. Today, we focus on the “Chapeaux de Noel” she has worn over the past two decades:

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2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004

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2005; 2006 in Rachel Trevor Morgan; 2007 in Angela Kelly; 2008 in Rachel Trevor Morgan; 2009 in Angela Kelly

2010 and 2011 in Angela Kelly (made by Stella Mclaren); 2012 in Rachel Trevor Morgan

2013;  2014 in Rachel Trevor Morgan; 2015 in Angela Kelly (made by Stella Mclaren)

2017; 2018 and 2019 in Angela Kelly (made by Stella Mclaren)

There are a few surprises here- it has now been 20 years since we saw Her Majesty chose a green hat for Christmas Day and the past two decades have seen more fur than the two before. There are many more neutral hued hats in this group than in the hats worn last century and, aside from the fur designs in 2010 and 2013, all the hats since 2000 have had brims. Looking back, I admire the unexpectedly vibrant orchid purple design with red feathers in 2014 and turquoise blue with lovely velvet flowers in 2012, both by Rachel Trevor Morgan, along with the snow queen fur pillbox in 2010.

Sadly, it was announced this week that we won’t see the Queen publicly on Christmas Day this year (not surprising considering the surge of COVID cases in Great Britain) so we’ll have to make due with pondering past Christmas hats this year. Which one of these designs stand out most to you?

With news that the Queen is expected to attend church publicly this year on Christmas Day, I thought it would be fun to look back at her past “Chapeaux de Noel.”

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1968, 1970, 1975 and 1980

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1982,1983, 1984, 1985 (see 1986 here) and 1987

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1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, and 1993

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1994, (see 1995 here) 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999

It’s a mostly jewel-toned choice with a few orange ensembles thrown in to spice things up and the unexpected pink beret in 1982. The earlier designs follow her preferred shapes in different decades- brimless through the 1960s and 1970s and a sprinkling of a few short brims in the 1980s. The larger brims of the 1990s, like the green one chosen in both 1995 and 1999, are all swept off the face.

It’s my pleasure to welcome longtime reader and contributor Jimbo to Royal Hats today for a look at an ensemble Queen Elizabeth paired with four different hats!

Look #1: Queen Elizabeth toured Jordan in March 1984 and premiered a bright pink Hardy Amies coat with a pink and white patterned dress.  Unfortunately, the dress was not easily seen. Accompanying it was a charming white hat with a large pink flower trim.

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Look #2: Several months later on June 19, 1984, Her Majesty wore the same dress (very visible this time) to Royal Ascot with a large brimmed white hat with flowers and trailing feathers down the back – perfect for a sunny day at the races!

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Look #3: For a trip to Canada in September of that same year, the Queen wore a third hat, again a white hat with pink trim.  The pink coat reappeared for the brisk autumn season. A year later  on October 24, 1985 while on a tour of Antigua and Barbuda, this third hat was repeated coat. She also wore the full ensemble in New Zealand in 1986, as well as for an August 1988 trip while in Paisley, Scotland.

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Look #4: The pink Hardy Amies coat was also worn with a royal blue patterned ensemble for a visit to Knightsbridge, London in 1985. The vibrant ensemble was repeated, without the coat, in Australia on March 4, 1986

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