Tag Archives: Queen Elizabeth

Design Review: Queen Elizabeth’s New Hats

Posted on by

Royal HatsIt took six and a half long months before Queen Elizabeth showed us a new hat in 2015. This new hat was soon followed by ten other new pieces, giving us a sensory overload of new hats. A number of you have asked to take a more relaxed, comparative look at the eleven new hats Queen Elizabeth débuted over the past month and here it is. While the fourth (yellow hat with silk flowers) is a Rachel Trevor Morgan design, all the others are the work of Angela Kelly.

Click on each photo to jump over to the original post in which it was featured. 

Queen Elizabeth, June 13, 2015 in Angela Kelly | Royal Hats Queen Elizabeth, June 16, 2015 in Angela Kelly | Royal Hats

Trooping the Colour on June 13 and the first day of Royal Ascot, June 16

Queen Elizabeth, June 17, 2015 in Angela Kelly | Royal Hats Queen Elizabeth, June 19, 2015 in Rachel Trevor Morgan

Blue and yellow for Ascot on June 17 and June 19

 Queen Elizabeth, June 23, 2015 in Angela Kelly | Royal Hats

First day of the state visit to Germany, June 23

Queen Elizabeth, June 24, 2015 in Angela Kelly | Royal Hats Queen Elizabeth, June 25, 2015 in Angela Kelly | Royal Hats

In Germany, June 24 and 25

Queen Elizabeth, June 25, 2015 in Angela Kelly | Royal Hats Queen Elizabeth, June 26, 2015 in Angela Kelly

In Germany, June 25 and 26

Queen Elizabeth, June 26, 2015 in Angela Kelly 

Bidding farewell to Germany, June 26; reviewing the Yeoman Guards on July 9

Looking at this group of new hats all together, there are similarities in brim curves and scale but diversity in crown shapes. What stands out to me most, however, is the noticeable restraint in Angela Kelly’s use of trim.  The hats are still very interesting but much better balanced, more elegant, and so much more flattering to their wearer. It’s a very welcome change.

What do you notice in this group of new designs?

Photos from Samir Hussein, Mark Cuthbert, Alan Crowhurst via Getty; Mirrorpix/Splash News, Kay Nietfield/epa, Michael Kappeler/dpa, Michael Kappeler/dpa, Boris Roessler/dpa, Jens Kalaene/dpa via Corbis; Chris Jackson via Getty; Peter Steffen/dpa via Corbis, WPA Pool via Getty

This Week’s Extras

Posted on by

Royal Hats

Princess Michael of Kent brought her straw visor out for Andy Murray’s quarter-final match at Wimbledon (Daily Mail)

The formal portraits from Princess Charlotte’s christening were released late this week. The group shot is marvellous (Daily Mail)

Royal Hats

A wonderful surprise to see the Duchess of Kent at an engagement this week (Go West London)

The Dutch Royal Family’s annual summer photocall showed the King, Queen and their girls at the beach (Getty)

Queen Letizia looked incredible at a state banquet during the Peruvian state visit to Spain (Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor)

Lovely photos of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene with their twins here, here, here and here (Hello Magazine)

The Duchess of Cornwall received one of Andy Murray’s signed sweatbands this week and put it up for sale, for charity, on Ebay. Can’t wait to read the feedback on this sale! (Ebay)

British Royals Celebrate Battle of Britain

Posted on by

Members of the British Royal Family gathered today to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The celebration, which saw all the remaining grandchildren of King George V together on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, included an enhanced Changing the Guard and military flypast. The Queen stood out in the lineup of royal military uniforms in a neon pink hat we have not seen her wear in five years. With an unusually pointed crown and upturned lattice brim, the hat is trimmed four large pink arrow feathers and a wide stripe of yellow binding on the brim. The hat’s colour scheme comes from the Queen’s printed dress (see it here and here) and while it coordinates well, I’m not a fan of both the bright colour and the creative shape.

 Queen Elizabeth, July 10, 2015 in Angela Kelly | Royal Hats Queen Elizabeth, July 10, 2015 in Angela Kelly | Royal Hats

Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: July 3, 2010

The Countess of Wessex repeated a celery green straw percher hat trimmed in a cream silk rose and a high mass of burnt feathers. Green is a great colour on her, isn’t it?

Designer: Philip Treacy. Dress by Emilia Wickstead
Previously Worn: June 13, 2011; June 15, 2009; June 18, 2008
Princess Alexandra repeated her sky blue hat with upturned brim on one side trimmed with a side looped bow and a swath of tulle. While difficult to see from these faraway photos today, the piece is such a lovely colour, shape and scale on her.  She recently débuted a twin to this hat- something we’ll look at closer next week.

Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: May 20, 2015; June 12, 2014
I suspect there may be some strong reactions to some of these hats and I can’t wait to hear them!
Photos from James Whatling/Splash News, James Whatling/Splash News, and James Whatling/Splash News via Corbis; Getty as indicated

Queen Reviews Her Body Guards

Posted on by

Queen Elizabeth reviewed The Queen’s Body Guard members of the Yeomen of the Guard yesterday in the garden of Buckingham Palace. The group must be near and dear to her (as one’s body guards ought to be!) as she used the occasion to show us a new hat. The bucket shape, known formally as a ‘peach basket’ design, looked to be made of pale blue straw and wrapped, bandage style, with matching blue organdie ribbon.

This piece is a style departure for her- while I love its bravery, I’m not convinced that the shape flatters Her Majesty. It is, however, lovely to see her in a suit instead of a coat and this suit is a beaut.

Designer: I suspect Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new
What do you think of this new hat?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Christening of Princess Charlotte

Posted on by

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge brought their new daughter, Princess Charlotte, to be christened this afternoon. The event, held at the the Church of Mary Magdalene which is on the royal estate at Sandringham, was an intimate family affair with numerous special touches. Princess Charlotte arrived in the same pram as was used more than fifty years by the Queen for her younger sons Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and family, July 5, 2015 | Royal Hats  Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and family, July 5, 2015 | Royal Hats

The Duchess of Cambridge wore a cream straw beret-base percher hat trimmed with a spray of silk blooms and straw ribbon twists. This hat, paired with a streamlined cream Alexander McQueen dress, followed the same monochrome approach that Kate established for Prince George’s christening, two years ago. There’s much to like about this hat- the proportion is great, the silk flowers are beautiful and Kate’s chignon works beautifully with it.  While the hat on its own is beautiful, I thought the combination of colourless hat, dress and shoes was very elegant but disappointingly bland. Imagine this hat with a floral dress? It would have been perfect.

Designer: Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Queen Elizabeth hit just the right note in her pink picture hat with flat crown and brim, trimmed simply with a wide band around the base of the crown. This is a more austere millinery look for Her Majesty than we usually see on her but it works so beautifully with her collarless coat, buttoned high to reveal her printed pink silk dress. I thought it was the perfect choice for her great-granddaughter’s christening and absolutely adored the time she took after the ceremony to chat with Prince George.

Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: June 21, 2014

The Duchess of Cornwall wore a new hat and dress in a beautiful soft blue. Her straw hat was trimmed with a huge silk bloom on the side and a wide inverted stripe of edging around the brim. The brim, made slightly smaller than Camilla’s other hats, was upfolded high on one side to create a ‘slice’ diagonal brim across the front. With her silk pleated and dotted dress, the ensemble was soft, feminine and so very pretty on her.

Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Carole Milddleton, Kate’s mother, topped her dove grey coat with a saucer-shaped percher hat in the same shade. The hat, which featured a saucer-within-a-saucer in two types of grey straw, was trimmed in the same appliqué lace as on the lapel of Carole’s coat.

Designer: Jane Corbett. Dress and coat by Catherine Walker
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Philippa Milddleton followed here sister’s lead in a hat and dress in monochrome cream. The hat, a straw indented circular dish, was trimmed with feathers and organdie curled ribbon.

Designer: Jane Taylor. It is a bespoke piece, similar to the Nitra design. Dress by Emilia Wickstead.
Previously Worn: This hat is new

While he did not wear a hat, Prince George wore a replica of the outfit his father wore in September 1984 to visit his brand new baby brother, Prince Harry, at St. Mary’s Hospital. This royal wardrobe recycling is such a charming, personal touch, isn’t it?

Prince George, July 5, 2015

While today’s event was not on a grand scale, there were a number of lovely hats. Which one stood out most to you?

Photos from Splash News, Splash News, Splash News, and Splash News via Corbis; and Getty as indicated