Tag Archives: Queen Elizabeth

Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in Kent

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Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh were in Kent this morning to open a new wing at the National Memorial to the Few and unveil their Diamond Jubilee statues at Canterbury Cathedral. For these events, Her Majesty stood out in her bright blue and turquoise hat. We have seen this hat numerous times in the past year and I must admit, I like it more with each outing. I particularly appreciate the balance of colour between the hat and matching coat – not an easy thing to do with colours as vibrant as these. I’m not so fond of are the buttons on the coat (something I noticed for the first time today) or the rough yarn trim on the hat but this outfit, overall, is a good one for the Queen.

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Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Angela Kelly. Coat by Karl Ludwig
Previously Worn: January 11, 2015; October 18, 2014; April 29, 2014; November 14, 2013

Queen Elizabeth has seen so much over the course of her reign but I wonder if it isn’t just a little odd to see herself cast in lifeless stone?  This aside, I think stone mason Nina Bilbey, who carved these statues, did a lovely job of making the Garter robes look like flowing fabric.

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Photos from Getty as indicated

Mapping A Hat Trend

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Royal Hats In doing some hat research last week, I noticed a subtle but interesting design trend in some hats Rachel Trevor Morgan has recently created for Queen Elizabeth.

Hats with upfolded brims made by Rachel Trevor Morgan between 2007 and 2012:

Queen Elizabeth, June 28, 2014 in Rachel Trevor Morgan | Royal Hats Queen Elizabeth, October 26, 2011 in Rachel Trevor Morgan | Royal Hats Queen Elizabeth, June 26, 2014 in Rachel Trevor Morgan | Royal Hats

Hats with upfolded brims made by Rachel Trevor Morgan in 2014:

Queen Elizabeth, June 19, 2014 in Rachel Trevor Morgan | Royal Hats Queen Elizabeth, June 6, 2014 in Rachel Trevor Morgan | Royal Hats Queen Elizabeth, June 17, 2014 in Rachel Trevor Morgan | Royal Hats

The brims on the more recent designs have decreased in size and created a more compact ‘upfold’ on the brim, closer to the hat’s crown. This change makes the raised side of the brim appear to sit at higher, more dramatic angles than the brims of the earlier designed hats. The wonderful floral trims are used in very similar ways but the change to the brim gives a different overall feel to the hat. I suppose this is a very natural design evolution and we’ll have to keep our eyes open to see if it continues with new designs worn by the Queen this summer.

Has anyone else noticed this slight change in Rachel Trevor Morgan’s designs?

Photos by Stuart C. Wilson/Stringer, Scott Barbour/Stringer and WPA Pool via Getty; Press Association via The Daily Mail; Chris Jackson via Getty and Press Association via The Express

Queen Elizabeth Visits Naval Ship

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Queen Elizabeth paid a visit to the HMS Ocean, the Royal Navy’s sole amphibious assault ship and landing platform helicopter. For today’s engagement, she repeated her orchid purple hat and matching coat. Made of silk crepe, this hat with tall, domed crown and downward facing brim is trimmed with two fuchsia arrow feathers. While I still have qualms about the proportion of this hat, its vibrant colour made the Queen to stand out against the grey ship and navy uniformed sailors. This hat seems to be growing on me – is your affection increasing for it as well?

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Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: December 25, 2014

Photos from Getty as indicated

British Royals Open Kennels

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Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in London yesterday. This event, where the dog-loving monarch officially opened the new Mary Tealby dog kennels, saw Queen Elizabeth repeat her grey and taupe bouclé covered hat with crown embroidered in rows of gold flowers.  I have always loved the way the gold embroidery on the hat is echoed on the sleeves, buttons, and hem of the coat, creating a unified ensemble. It is a subtle detail that I think, makes this hat sing.

Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: November 6, 2014; January 5, 2014; February 5, 2012; October 22, 2008

Photos from Getty as indicated

British Royals Attend Service of Commemoration

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Members of the British Royal Family attended a Service of Commemoration at St. Paul’s Cathedral this morning, honouring the British military’s involvement in Afghanistan which has now come to an end. I suspect this service was made all the more personal for this family as Prince Harry, who was in attendance, served two terms of duty in this military operation.

Queen Elizabeth led her family at this event in a repeated her blue straw stovepipe hat, trimmed with a prim felt bow. This remains one of my favourite colours on the queen and I adore the pattern woven into the straw. With her bouquet of tulips and hyacinths, the Queen looked the picture of spring.

Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: March 5, 2014, October 11, 2011; May 11, 2010; March 8, 2010; November 28, 2008

The Duke of Edinburgh, who holds the rank of Lord High Admiral in the navy, wore his uniform and cap. He gallantly offered his hand to his wife as they descended the steps of St. Paul’s, a sweet gesture that was caught on camera below.

The Prince of Wales, who holds five star ranking in all three branches (Army, Navy and Air Force) of the British Armed Services, also attended this service in uniform.

The Duchess of Cornwall repeated her black winter hat with a ruched crown and faux-fur cuff, pinning  the cap badge of The Rifles to the crown of the hat. While I loved the addition of this military brooch to her hat, I am afraid it feels a little informal for an event with as high a profile as this one. We’re going to look at this hat (and its many clones) in greater depth next week.

Designer: Lock & Co.
Previously Worn: Decemeber 10, 2013; February 7, 2012;  February 6, 2012; January 27, 2012

Also in military uniform were Princess Anne, as Commodore-in-Chief of HMNB Portsmouth and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

The Duke of Cambridge wore his uniform and cap as Flight Lieutenant of the Royal Air Force. The Duchess topped her simple navy dress and coat with a navy felt saucer hat which was trimmed by a navy silk abstract bow. The outfit and hat are rather austere but very fitting for this event. We have not seen Kate in a saucer hat in a very long while and it was a nice change from her go-to embellished berets. I thought her low chignon showed this hat to great effect and that Kate looked very elegant.

Designer: Jane Taylor. UPDATE: This hat appeared months later in the AW 2015 collection.
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Prince Harry, who served two terms of duty in Afghanistan, was in attendance in his uniform as Captain of The Blues and Royals.

http://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/prince-harry-catherine-duchess-of-cambridge-and-prince-news-photo/466095204

The Earl of Wessex wore his uniform and cap as Royal Honorary Colonel of the London Regiment. The Countess wore a new embellished percher hat with black felt beret base, trimmed in PVC ribbon. My first impression of this made me question the use of the shiny ribbon, which looks like patent leather. At second, third and fourth glances, however, I have come to really appreciate this piece. The sense of movement in this hat is absolutely exquisite and the contrast of texture between the two materials gives such visual depth and interest. I think this new hat will serve Sophie very well.

Designer: Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: This is a new hat

The Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester, and the Duke of York also attended the service, each in their respective military uniforms and caps.

While royal hats are the focus of this blog, the aim of today’s commemoration service was to pay tribute to the service personnel who did not return home. This article at the Daily Mail includes photos of all the British service men and women who lost their lives during the course of this military intervention.

Photos from Getty as indicated