Tag Archives: Queen Elizabeth

Queen Celebrates 300 Years of The Royal Artillery

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Queen Elizabeth was on Salisbury Plain in her role as Captain-General of the Royal Regiment of Artillery to oversee a Royal Review on the occasion of the regiment’s 300th anniversary.  For this event, she repeated her pink straw cloche hat with diagonal crown wrap in the same pink bouclé as her coat. The hat, which is trimmed with an interwoven pink silk looped bow at the side, is a good scale on her and I like the repeat of the bow silk on the brim’s piping. I have never been a fan of these diagonal crown wraps which, while adding interesting shape, always look awkward to me. That being said, this ensemble is a very pretty colour on Her Majesty and I never fail to marvel at her ability to choose an outfit and hat that will make her stand out in any situation. Pale pink is not a hue one associates with standing out in a crowd but she did so beautifully today.

British Royals Host Garden Party

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Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh opened the garden of Buckingham Palace today to host the final London garden party of the season. For this event, the Queen repeated her sky blue straw hat with stepped crown, raised brim and beautiful feather flower trim. I remain a great fan of this piece although I am rather curious about why the Queen repeated it so soon after last week’s appearance. Perhaps she loves it as much as we do?

Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: May 17, 2016; July 16, 2015; June 19, 2014

The Duke of Edinburgh looked smart in a grey wool top hat with sharply curved brim.

The Duke of Cambridge made his first ever garden party appearance in a traditional black silk top hat that I thought, looked very handsome on him. The Duchess repeated the ensemble she wore three years ago for Prince George’s christening. Her natural straw beret-based percher hat is trimmed with a widely woven ivory net veil and silk blooms. The large base of the piece makes it more substantial than many other perchers and the neutral palate works well with her beautiful ruffled suit.

Designer: Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: October 23, 2013

The York Princesses both used this occasion to début new percher hats. Princess Beatrice’s hat features a black beret base with twisting black crin brim that looked to end in a pleated fan at the back. The design is completed with a white silk rose which tied the piece nicely with Beatrice’s black and white dress. Princess Eugenie’s red straw hat follows a bumper shape with an indented centre and is trimmed with a stylised flower trim in white wire. We seldom see this kind of trim on royal hats and I thought it added a modern and creative touch that set off Eugenie’s printed dress very well. Both princesses chose rather bold, fashion-forward looks that I thought they each carried off with great style.

 

Designer of Princess Beatrice’s hat: Nerida Fraiman
Designer of Princess Eugenie’s hat: Sarah Cant. It is the ‘Sierra’ design from SS 2016
Previously Worn: both hats are new

The Duke of Gloucester wore a black silk top hat while the Duchess topped her pale blue coat dress with a matching bumper hat. Until now, Brigitte paired a different straw hat with this coat (see it here) and I prefer the smaller scale of this bumper design. It is a very simple hat but one that suits her well.

Duke of Gloucester, May 24, 2016 | Royal Hats  Duchess of Gloucester, May 24, 2016 | Royal Hats

Duchess of Gloucester, May 24, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

The Duke of Kent, repeated his top hat in grey wool.

Duke of Gloucester, May 24, 2016 | Royal Hats

Today’s hats at Buckingham Palace made a rather colourful parade- what did you think of these designs?

British Royals Attend Palace Garden Party

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Queen Elizabeth hosted her second garden party of this summer season yesterday in the grounds of Buckingham Palace. For this event, she was vibrantly attired in her mauve square crowned, rolled brim hat with wide mint green hat band and brim edging. While I have always wanted to like the fuschia, pink and green feathered blooms adorning this piece, it just reads too costumey for me to embrace.

Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: June 30, 2015; June 12, 2014; June 19, 2013

The Duke of Edinburgh was his dapper self in an antique silk top hat, shown off to full effect with a dotted tie.

The Duchess of Cornwall topped her neutral coat dress with her cream straw hat with up-swept brim. The gentle curve in this design is shown off so well with this delicate windowpane straw and while it’s huge in scale, Camilla pulls it off. I think, however, I prefer this hat paired with a more colourful ensemble.

Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: June 13, 2015;  June 19, 2013; June 14, 2011; April 29, 2011; June 16, 2009

Princess Anne repeated the ecru straw hat she first wore to Ascot last year. With a double crown wrap in chocolate straw and ruched duponi silk, a chocolate straw underbrim and a mass of feathers at the side, there is a lot happening visually with this piece. I think, however, the muted colour palate and pairing with Anne’s simple ecru bouclé suit balances the hat and maybe even makes it work.

Princess Anne, May 20, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: June 19, 2015; November 19, 2007; June 2006

The Duke of Kent wore a grey felt top hat while his sister, Princess Alexandra, surprised in a new design. In white straw, the picture hat features a wide, flat brim and domed crown with straight sides. Trimmed with Alexandra’s signature swath of tulle net, the hat is also decorated with what looks to be a striped green and white bloom on the side.

Duke of Kent, May 20, 2016 | Royal Hats

Princess Alexandra, May 20, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designer: likely Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

What hats stood out to you most at this event?

Photos from Getty as indicated and The British Monarchy

Queen Dedicates Memorial

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Queen Elizabeth visited the National Memorial Arboretum this morning to officially dedicate the Duke of Lancaster’s Regimental Memorial. She was a vision in blue for this event in a straw hat with a high, stepped crown and an upturned brim on one side. It’s a hat we’ve seen before but a hat I’m so pleased to see again. The sharp shape of this design is lovely in its own right but the hat is made spectacular with Rachel Trevor Morgan’s exquisite handmade feather flower trim and the navy edged side bow and triple sash around the crown. That sliver of navy adds such dimension to this hat (especially against the Queen’s collarless coat) and beautifully references the print of her dress.

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Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: July 16, 2015; June 19, 2014
I’m admittedly a great fan of this hat’s proportion and embellishment- what do you think of this design?
Photos from Getty as indicated

British Royals Celebrate Queen’s Birthday

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Members of the British Royal Family gathered this weekend at Windsor for a jam-packed weekend of events that combined two favourites- the Queen and the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Over the weekend, Her Majesty was spotted enjoying the show as a kerchiefed spectator.

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To present the day’s awards, she popped back to the palace to change. On Saturday, she repeated her magenta hat with silk crepe crown and edging around the straw brim, trimmed with flowers and striped feathers.

Queen Elizabeth, May 14, 2016 in Angela Kelly | Royal Hats Queen Elizabeth, May 14, 2016 in Angela Kelly | Royal Hats

Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: July 5, 2015; June 20, 2015

For yesterday’s awards, Queen Elizabeth repeated her pale blue straw hat with domed crown, asymmetrical upturned brim, and silk flower and ribbon trim. While the photo here does neither the hat nor the wearer justice (jump over here to see much better views during its last outing), it remains a beautiful piece and it was nice to see the Queen in it again.

Queen Elizabeth, May 15, 2016 in Rachel Trevor Morgan | Royal Hats

Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: June 4, 2015; June 17, 2014; April 20, 2014

The Duke of Edinburgh, who is an accomplished carriage driver, took part in the show throughout the weekend. He looked dapper and relaxed in a white straw fedora with curved brim along with two wool plaid flat caps.

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Prince Michael of Kent also joined in some carriage driving, looking most distinguished in a cream straw fedora. The high crown and exaggerated pinches on this piece give it an interesting shape and the pleated navy band adds a refined touch.

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Lord Frederick and Lady Gabriella Windsor joined their father. Ella’s take on a fedora in dark green featured a tall crown, wide brim and simple bow at the side in coordinating grosgrain ribbon. Freddie’s straw fedora featured a cowboy-hat shaped brim that I’m not fond of. Thankfully, the smart grey and red trim added some polish to the piece.

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The weekend’s climax was a variety show set up in an arena in Windsor Great Park that featured more than 1200 performers, 900 horses and numerous other animals (cows, dogs and a goat). While the Queen did not wear a hat for this evening event, the Princess Royal, Earl of Wessex, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Zara Tindall, who all took part in the pageant riding horses belonging to the Queen, did.

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So many of the hats we see here lean toward the formal side and it’s a fun change to see more informal pieces. There will be more celebrating (with lots of hats) on the Queen’s official birthday celebration on June 11.
Photos from Getty as indicated; Press Association and NS News Agency Ltd.