Tag Archives: Queen Silvia

This Week’s Extras

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Prince Joachim and Princess Marie visited to the army school Haerens Sergentskole in Varde on Tuesday. Joachim graduated from the school 30 years ago and his eldestson, Prince Nicolai (second from the right, below), enrolled in the school earlier this month.


Also on Tuesday, Infanta Elena donned one of her trusty fedoras to attend a bullfight with her father (Getty Images)

King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia participated yesterday in an annual car rally on the island of Öland, the king driving is 1946 navy blue Volvo PV60 as he has in years past. For the event, Queen Silvia wore a cream brimmed hat with red trim while the king wore a brown felt trilby. There are some great additional photos at this Belga gallery.

Very interesting radio interview with couture milliner Rachel Trevor Morgan and couture turban designer Donia Allegue Walbaum about their craft, brands, creative perspectives and experiences as milliners of famous clients (BBC)

Philip Treacy shared this archive photo of the Queen of Soul in one of his amazing designs. My sincere thanks to reader Shannon for passing on this great interview with Detroit milliner Luke Song, who shares memories of working with Aretha Franklin and the hats he made for her. I found the story behind the iconic one she wore for President Obama’s inauguration to be particularly fascinating.

The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:

Very dapper orange, blue and grey plaid newsboy cap from Stetson Europe
Luxurious merlot peachbloom felt fedora with pewter rose hatband detail from Jane Taylor
Natural straw hat with a swooping twist from Munich-based Nicki Marquardt
Love the icy bit of silver trim on this lilac button base percher from Irish milliner Teresa Nugent
Leopard print percher with pheasant feathers from Australian brand Jill and Jack Millinery
Headpiece of pastel foam circles from the creative mind of British milliner Stephen Jones

And from Australian milliner Meg Rafter, a beautiful wide brimmed, cream straw fedora and wide, monochrome Petersham ribbon hatband. Clean, simple, effortless, wearable and so, so chic.

 

 Royal Hats

Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako and Princess Aiko travelled to the Imperial family’s seaside home in Shimoda this week for a holiday. Several great photos of the family were taken on the beach (see here, here and here) including this great shot that proves even royal teenagers cringe at their dad’s jokes.

Great photo montage shared by the British royal family this week on the occasion of Princess Anne’s birthday

Queen Margrethe was all smiles on Thursday at her French home, Chateau de Caix, where she welcomed journalists for an annual interview and photocall. This home was well known to be Prince Henrik’s escape and a personal favourite of the couple- as such, these photos on the first summer following his passing feel particularly poignant.

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We sign off this week with another breathtaking photograph of nature from the lens of James Ogilvy. Summer weekends are coming to a close- enjoy this one!

Christening of Princess Adrienne: Immediate Families

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We continue our look at the floral themed hats and headpieces worn at Princess Adrienne’s christening with those worn by her grandmothers, aunts and cousins. Queen Silvia topped her pale grey silk wool cloqué embossed floral dress with a padded headpiece in the same fabric. While the design looks like a pillbox or calot hat from the front, back and side views confirm it is an open ring with geometric shaped back.

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June 8, 2018 | Royal Hats  June 8, 2018 | Royal Hats

I’ve written before my thoughts on this style of headpiece- I’m not a particular fan. This one is not helped by the bland colour or the distinct pattern of the cloqué fabric, which ties it to the dress to a degree that a ‘matchy-matchy’ label feels inevitable. The dress is beautiful and I wonder how it might have paired with a smart straw hat instead.

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Designer: unknown. 
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

Crown Princess Victoria topped her floral dress with a cream tri-ringed headpiece trimmed with large beige and cream silk cabbage roses. We’ve seen Victoria in two twins of this piece (see here and here), all which link to the headpiece Queen Silvia wore in August 1970 for Prince Carl Philip’s christening. While she wears the design well, it makes a lovely nostalgic nod and it fit the floral theme of yesterday’s event, three versions of such a distinctive style is enough for me –  I’d love to see something different on Victoria.

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Previously Worn: this hat is new

Princess Sofia wore a large ecrcu silk floral headpiece tucked behind her left ear. It’s a pretty design, albeit nondescript design that paired especially well with her drop pearl earrings, relaxed chignon and floral dress.

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Previously Worn: This design is new

In a non-hatted but very sweet touch, Prince Alexander wore the same blue outfit his father wore to the Te Deum following Princess Madeleine’s birth in 1982. The resemblance between father and son is striking.

Looking now at Princess Adrienne’s paternal relations, Eva O’Neill topped her green-gray dress with a matching bandeau headpiece of overlapping feathers in the same hue. The piece works especially well with her short haircut and the shape and movement of the design made a lovely complement to the dress.
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Chris’ sisters, Annalisa  and Karen O’Neill, both wore black crin headpieces trimmed with feathers.
June 8, 2018 | Royal Hats

Chris’ sister Tatjana d’Abo wore an embellished gold headband while her daughter, Anouska, who was named as one of Princess Adrienne’s godparents, wore a Philip Treacy designed pink straw percher with lace trimmed veil. Chris’ other sister, Countess Natascha Abensperg und Traun, also wore a Philip Treacy design (silk flowers made by Anfisa Korelova). Her domed grey straw percher is trimmed with pink and white handmade silk flowers, green silk leaves and grey feathers.

June 8, 2018 | Royal Hats   June 8, 2018 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats  June 8, 2018 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats
I always love to see non-royal relations hold their own in the millinery stakes at events such as this, and the O’Neill family did especially well, bringing some of the few hats we saw at this event. That being said, there is something sweetly pretty about the floral dress and headpiece uniform of sorts adopted by the Swedish royal relations. Which hats stand out here most to you?
Next up, hats and headpieces worn by members of the extended royal family.
Photos from Getty as indicated; Stella Pictures, TT

Catching Up Five Scandinavian Royal Hatted Events

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The Scandinavian royals were busy this weekend, leaving us five hatted events to catch up!

On Saturday, Queen Margrethe opened a Niels Skovgaard exhibition at Skovgaard Museum. The queen, who has lent a painting from the royal collection for the exhibition (one that usually hangs in her office), repeated her bright pink straw hat with double navy floral hatband and organza mini blossoms on the side.

Designer: likely Peter Falk Hansen
Previously Worn: May 29, 2018; Aug 28, 2017;  June 16, 2017; September 12, 2016; June 27, 2016; June 3, 2016; August 31, 2015; June 26, 2015
On Saturday, Princess Benedikte was at Klampenborg Galopbane for her namesake “Princess Benedikt’s Honorary Prize Run” for female amateur riders. For this event, she wore a new cream straw hat with wide brim, upswept on one side. The hat looks to be simply trimmed with a wide hatband in the same cream straw. It’s a lovely, sleek piece that paired especially well with her bright dress and necklace.


Designer: Mathilde Førster 
Previously Worn: This hat is new 
Yesterday, King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia attended an ordination service at Uppsala Cathedral. For this service, Queen Silvia topped her patterned royal blue dress with her repeated straw hat in the same hue. The hat features a rounded crown, gently upswept brim and is trimmed with a pleated blue silk hatband and a side spray of blue silk flowers at the side. We’ve discussed recently here about the success (or non success!) of one colour ensembles and I put this one firmly in the ‘success’ category, thanks to the mix of multiple textures on the dress and hat.


https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjm3f5Uh7K7/

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: June 6, 2016  
Also yesterday, Queen Margrethe was in Fredericia  to take part in the 350th anniversary celebration of Sct. Michaelis Church. She repeated her pale pink straw hat with tapered crown and slightly upswept brim on one side, trimmed with white silk flowers and pink silk ribbon hatband and brim binding piped with a slim stripe of white. She was joined for the service by her cousin, Count Ingolf of Rosenborg and his wife, Countess Sussie, who wore a smart raspberry straw bumper hat.

June 3, 2018 | Royal Hats

Designer of Queen Margrethe’s hat:  likely Per Falk Hansen. White silk flowers by Danish fleuriste Effi Pingel
Previously Worn: Nov 23, 2017; July 15, 2017
And finally, the Norwegian royal family welcomed Slovakia’s President Andrej Kiska today on a three day state visit. For the official welcome, Queen Silvia repeated a cream straw picture hat with trimmed with coral quills.
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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: May 19, 2014; May 31, 2012; June 2007 
Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore an embellished bandeau headpiece while Princess Astrid looks to be wearing a black  straw brimless hat with domed crown, trimmed with a black net tulle veil.
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Designer of both pieces: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe both are new
My apologies for the poor photos, dearest readers- the Scandinavian royals just get the level of media coverage that their British cousins do. Nevertheless, it’s been a busy weekend of interesting hats across Scandinavia! I think Princess Benedikte’s new design is a particular beauty. 
Photos from social media as indicated; Chresten Bergh and Scanpix Norway

Last Week’s Extras

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A number of hats on non-royal heads at Epsom this weekend stood out:

Irish milliner Carol Kennelly in a fabulous cream feathered pillbox of her own design
ITV’s Charlotte Hawkinds in  fuschia and peach perchers from Layla Leigh Millinery
Georgia Toffolo in a classic pink straw Jane Taylor boater hat
Gina Harding in a black button percher with magenta and black feathers by Awon Golding
Laura Tobin in a wide brimmed, rosy-beige Nerida Fraiman saucer with feather flowers
Festival Style Award winner Amy Thomas in a self made purple upswept saucer with lace and silk roses

On May 26th, Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako attended the 29th National Greenery Conservation ceremony in Nagahama. Princess Masako repeated a small white hat with navy hatband.

May 26, 2018 | Royal hats

Queen Silvia repeated her ecru straw cloche last Monday for the annual Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsudde “Friends of Artists” parade

Empress Michiko repeated a grey saucer hat to welcome Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and his wife Nguyen Thi Hien to Tokyo on Wednesday, May 30

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The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attended a service at Southwark Cathedral this morning to commemorate a year since the attack on London Bridge. For the event, the Duchess repeated her navy straw beret hat.

The following new millinery designs also caught my eye this week:

Mint straw percher saucer with flower from London hatters Lock & Co.
From Juan Li London, this black straw boater with vibrant hatband and brim binding
British milliner Laura Cathcart’s bright pink straw pillbox (modeled by the milliner herself)
Dramatic gold sequinned button percher with lace trim on looped, crystal studded quills by Vivien Sheriff
Prettiest white picture hat with pink mesh brim, hantband and bow from Australian brand Millinery by Mel
Stunning navy beret hat with sparkling night sky from UK brand Mind Your Bonce
Quirky black straw beret percher with bold floral trim from London-based Turkish milliner Merve Bayindir
Wide brimmed white straw saucer with explosion of black & white feathers from UK brand Gemma J Millinery

And from Munich-based milliner Nicki Marquardt,  a creative option for those of us who need our hats to be as functional as possible and fit multiple occasions. I think this is brilliant!

Princess Olympia of Greece made her tiara debut last weekend at Prince Frederik’s 50th birthday gala. The fringe tiara was a gift from her maternal grandmother when she was a baby- her mother has worn it numerous times over the years. What a beautiful gown and hairstyle combination to wear this piece for the first time.

And finally, a video clip that made me smile- the Dutch King zooming around on a quad. Even kings are boys at heart.

This Week’s Extras

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Royal Hats

Last week, Princess Alexandra donned her tall natural straw hat with Pork Pie crown and veil trim to officially open the Lynwood Village near Ascot.

 

King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia in construction hats during their visit to Japan this week, inspecting progress on facilities for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Several new designs caught my eye this week:

Such a happy bright pink fedora with daisy chain hatband from UK milliner Nicola de Selincourt
Awed by the delicate 3D lace work on this mint straw button hat from UK brand Merve Bayindir
Pretty white vertical upswept saucer hat with feather flowers from Dublin milliner Aoife Harrison
Lovely gradient shades of layered hatbands on this black straw boater from Texan milliner Milli Starr
Beautifully lush and romantic floral headpiece from royal favourite Jane Taylor Millinery
Sorbet hues on these super chic fedoras from Canadian brand The Saucy Milliner
Classic colours & lines on this wide brimmed white saucer with navy lace from London based Ana Bella Millinery

And from London milliner Edwina Ibbotson, the springiest of spring statement picture hats. I can only imagine this piece (and this vibrant rainbow design by the same designer) are already reserved for Ascot!

 

 Royal Hats

Very interesting article on royal relevance, race and the state of Britain written by Lady Gabriella Windsor’s former flame who had, for several years, a view from inside the palace (Vanity Fair). Not sure what his game is but it’s an interesting read nonetheless.

Stunning new pictures of the Dutch Royal Family released on Thursday (scroll right to see all shots)


Queen Margrethe’s future burial sarcophagus has been completed. While clearly a piece of amazing craftsmanship, I’m afraid I still find it a bit creepy.

Several new photo released from the Swedish royal court including beautiful new pictures of Princess Adrienne and her parents and a series of very dashing new portraits of Prince Daniel.

Here’s a heartwarming one- a weary mum, travelling with young twins on a flight from Riga to Stockholm yesterday, received some royal help and encouragement on the flight.

And finally, a closeup look at the sweet white knitted bonnet Prince Louis sported at less than ten hours old for his big debut. So sweet.

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