Tag Archives: Queen Elizabeth

Monday Multiples: Queen Elizabeth

Posted on by

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

Jimbo’s Introduction: During her trip to Canada in 1984, Queen Elizabeth wore a beautiful, fresh mint green coat, and brought two totally different hats along.  The zig-zag turban is too awesome for words!  Not many hat wearers can carry this look off with such style and grace. One of the following photos discloses a polka-dot dress under the coat – again, very nice.

Look #1: With a pale green ruched toque hat overlaid in net veil with and trimmed with silk lily-of-the-valley worn on February 5, 1984 to open a Liverpool Garden Festival and on October 1, 1984 in Windsor and Brantford, Ontario during a visit to Canada

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Look #2: in a pastel chevron printed silk ruched turban knotted on one side worn on October 5, 1984 in Dauphin, Manitoba on the same Canadian Tour

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Which coat do you prefer most with this hat?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Monday Multiples: Queen Elizabeth

Posted on by


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

Jimbo’s Introduction: Mixing hats with different outfits is not a new millinery phenomenon.  Queen Elizabeth, everyone’s favorite and most prolific royal hat wearer, was leading the way 20 years ago!  Here is the same hat, worn with a different ensemble each time.  Granted, not the most fascinating of designs, this tan straw go-to hat could have been intended as the grab-the-closest-hat-hanging-by-the-door-as-you-make-a-mad-dash . . .  we all have one!

Hat: Almond braided straw with upturned kettle brim, trimmed with a multiple strand plaited hatband and rolled circle button at back. Designer unknown.

Look #1: With a pale turquoise tailored suit with stitched lapels worn on April 19, 1999 in Seoul, Korea, on March 29, 2000 in Launceston, Tasmania and on a March 22, 2001 visit to a London publisher.

Embed from Getty Images

Look #2: With a deeper turquoise wool bouclé coat worn to welcome a Chinese state visit on October 19, 1999

Embed from Getty Images

Look #3: With a black silk dress printed with ivory stemmed flowers worn November 14, 1999 in Durban, South Africa

Embed from Getty Images

Look #4: With an ivory bouclé double breasted coat with brass buttons and a taupe silk dress with ivory polka dots worn October 12, 2000 in Manchester

Embed from Getty Images

Which outfit do you prefer most with this neutral hat?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Queen Elizabeth Visits Cambridgeshire

Posted on by

Queen Elizabeth was in Cambridgeshire today to visit Queens’ College Cambridge, open Royal Papworth Hospital’s new facility  and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB). Like her grandparents on their first visit to the charity in 1921, she celebrated by planting a tree.



Embed from Getty Images

For this day of engagements, she repeated a coat and hat in bright pink textured silk wool cloque fabric. The hat features a tall, slightly forward sloping crown and a modestly sized upturned brim (straw on top, fabric covering the underside) that raises on one side in a gentle sidesweep. It is trimmed on the brim’s lower side with pink and purple silk snakeshead fritillaria flowers and green feather leaves. A slim fabric covered hatband completes the design.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

The Queen is a master dresser and chose well today- the colour stands out beautifully against the plants and grasses at NIAB and makes me like it more than I did at its first outing! The floral trim is wonderful as is the colour, and I really like the way the coat’s double collar frames the face and balances the width of the upturned brim. If I were to change one thing it would be the crown shape, which is a bit awkward, but it’s a minor issue.

Embed from Getty Images

There was recently a discussion in the comments here about how few hats we see with a full view of the dress they were designed to pair with- here’s a rare treat! Of course, this ends up being the one dress that I don’t think is a great pairing with the hat and I much prefer the hat with the coat!

Designer: Angela Kelly made by Stella McLaren
Previously Worn: June 22, 2017

The Queen was joined for part of the day’s engagements today by the Duchess of Gloucester, who repeated her taupe straw formed beret hat with stem.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: unknown. My guess is still Lock and Co.
Previously Worn: July 11, 2018;  March 9, 2017; June 18, 2015; June 15, 2015; November 6, 2013; June 19, 2013; June 5, 2012

It’s been two years since we first saw Queen Elizabeth’s pink hat- what do you think of it today on it’s second outing?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

This Week’s Extras

Posted on by

The Akishinos completed their visit to Poland and moved on to Finland. For their first day of events there, Crown Princess Kiko wore two hats- a navy (or black?) brimmed design with white crown, black ruched hatband and back bow; and a cuffed calot with side bow in palest grey textured fabric
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images On
Thursday, the Duchess of Sussex made an unexpected appearance at Wimbledon to watch her good friend Serena Williams. She repeated a ready-to wear- informal fedora with black hatband, the ‘x Biltmore Panama Hat’ by Madewell
Embed from Getty Images
Princess Anne celebrated 50 years of the Royal Navy’s Continuous At Sea Deterrent in Clyde, Scotland on Thursday
Prince Albert was in Brussels yesterday to see the start of the 106th Tour de France
Embed from Getty Images
Carina Axelsson, partner of Princess Benedikte’s eldest son, Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg shared this photo of herself in a black feathered fascinator taken back at Trooping the Colour in early June
The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Beautiful crown shape on this chic summer straw hat from French brand, Maison Michel
Adore the pattern in this floral disc hat with flying bow by Irish milliner Carol Kennelly
Ecru straw boater with amazing, detachable father sailboat trim by Russian-born UK milliner Maria Zherebtsova
Breathtaking aqua saucer with hand-painted lace and impeccable silk binding by Dutch milliner Wies Mauduit
Fun (and airy!) twist on a classic bowler by London-based Spanish milliner Rafael Peinador
Winter white felt trilby with blue stripped pheasant feathers by UK milliner Siana Yewdall
Chic straw baseball caps from Italian brand Borsalino
Kokoshnik bandeau of silk flowers studded with branches and birds by UK brand Bombini Studio
An oversize ivory brimmed picture hat with orange bloom at the Henley Regatta on a familiar face!

And from Melbourne-based brand Taboo Millinery, this hand carved and painted black and white boater. Amazing!

Charming summer family photo shared by Prince Carl Phillip and Princess Sofia. Those young princes are growing like weeds!
Great peek inside the new Dutch government jet that will transport King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima around the world. I wonder if the king will also pilot it?!
And finally, this sweet new summer portrait of the Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, released recently for the 50th anniversary of the Prince’s investiture as Prince of Wales

Photos from social media as indicated

Queen Visits Edinburgh Farm

Posted on by

Queen Elizabeth’s Holyrood week in Scotland continued yesterday with a visit to Gorgie City Farm in Edinburgh. For this event, she repeated the same split crown design in cream straw and lime silk wool that she wore on the last day of Royal Ascot two weeks ago. The hat is trimmed simply with a spray of silk orchids and a slim green bow at the side

Embed from Getty Images

Today’s photos show great views of this hat’s complex shape. While impeccably finished, I find the shape and mix of materials splitting the crown awkward. The colour is wonderfully fresh and zing-y but the shape doesn’t do it for me.

Embed from Getty Images

It seems that Olive the duck might agree.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Angela Kelly, made by Stella McLaren
Previously Worn: June 22, 2019; March 28, 2019; April 21, 2016 

Do these views change your thoughts about this hat?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Holyroodhouse Garden Party

Posted on by

Queen Elizabeth was joined yesterday by the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessx (who is now known in Scotland as the Earl of Forfar) at the Palace of Holyroodhouse for the annual Scottish summer garden party.

Embed from Getty Images

The Queen looked very summery her bright coral pink straw hat with hourglass shaped crown and gently sidesweeping brim trimmed with side straw twists and a wide arc of feathers in mixed shades of pink, soft coral and ivory.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Angela Kelly made by Stella McLaren.
Previously Worn: Apr 23, 2018;  June 17, 2016

Princess Anne repeated the muted teal straw hat with rounded crown and high, sidesweeping brim with bow and feathers she recently debuted at Ascot. Prince Edward wore his very dapper antique silk top hat (while, curiously, the Duke of York carried his).

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Designer of Princess Anne’s hat: unknown
Previously Worn: June 20, 2019

Thoughts about these hats yesterday in Edinburgh?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Queen Attends Sunday Service in Edinburgh

Posted on by

Queen Elizabeth attended Sunday Church service at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh yesterday morning in a repeated blue straw hat. The hat follows a familiar shape with tall, slightly flared and sloped crown with front indent contrasted with a moderately sized, flat brim. Trimmings include a layered silk hatband in the same pale blue and a spray of handmade silk peony blooms and rose buds in varied shades of pink.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Yesterday’s outing showed a decent view of this ensemble’s pink floral dress, a connection that puts the hat’s pink flowers in context and shows just how perfectly they in. Some of Her Majesty’s hats need to be viewed closeup to appreciate all the detail and while this hat is beautiful at close view, I think it works even better further away, seen in relation to the entire ensemble.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan. Coat and dress by Stewart Parvin
Previously Worn: May 21, 2019; June 20, 2018

What do you think of this hat on this, its third outing?

Photos from Getty as indicated