Last week we looked at largest flowers, this week, it’s largest feathers.  So rack your memories and search your archives, dearest readers: Which one of Queen Elizabeth’s hats hosts the largest feather? 

To clarify, we’re not looking for the hat with the most feathers (stay tuned in a few weeks for that search) but instead, that hat with the largest feather. This feather might appear on a hat by itself or may be part of other trimmings. To keep things interesting, I’m going to discount ceremonial hats like those at the Order of the Thistle and Order of the Garter, below.

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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

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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.

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

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

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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

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