Tag Archives: Queen Sonja

This Week’s Extras

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Yesterday, Empress Masako was photographed arriving for the Spring Equinox Festival at the Imperial Palace in an ecru silk covered hat with upturned Breton brim. This video shows Crown Princess Kiko, Princess Mako, Princess Kako and Princess Hisako arriving in cream silk bumper hats and Princess Tsuguko in a her cloche with short cartwheel brim.
King Harald and Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit shared greetings and words of encouragement along with photos of how they are keeping occupied in isolation


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God fredag❤️. Her kommer noen bilder herfra i denne spesielle tiden. Hos oss er det hjemmekontor ,telefonmøter, lekser, turgåing, bading og rutiner som holder moralen oppe. Haakon, barna og jeg sender mange gode tanker til alle som på hver sine hvis holder hjulene i gang om dagen. En ekstra hilsen til dere som føler dere mer ensomme nå. Og til alle som har blitt syke: Måtte dagene bli lettere snart. Min måte å finne ro ser du hvis du blar videre❤️ Sender @askerhusflidslag og Heidi en stor takk for lånet av hjemmevev! Hvis noen trenger boktips så kan jeg anbefale å ta opp igjen John Irving. Spesielt «Last night in twisted river» Irving skriver så levende historier at man kan unne seg å være midt i et annet univers en stund, og det er vel noe vi alle trenger nå.... En liten pause. Kommer med flere boktips etterhvert. Sender en klem her fra vevstua... ❤️🇳🇴❤️#sammenholdervimoralenoppe

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Several of you have commented on this re-post of Queen Margrethe making a dachshund hat. It’s certainly worth another watch!
I have no idea when this photo was taken but it shows one of the wives of  Swazi King Mswati III in a fun, deep red headpiece that I don’t remember seeing before.
The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:

 Blue straw fedora with saucy brim with silver lace appliqué with hand embroidered sequins by Dutch milliner Wies Mauduit
Black beret percher rimmed in straw blooms and a straw bow by New York-based brand Suzanne Couture Millinery
Another bold and wonderfully vibrant sinamay headpiece by American milliner Amy Fowler
Lovely drape on this vibrant blue felt beret percher’s double bow by Australian milliner Neil Grigg
Exaggerated and striking white boater hat with tall crown and cutout brim by Korean milliner Q Park
Blue ombre bandeau headpiece of overlapping straw leaves by British milliner Bee Smith
Lovely mulberry felt fedora with extended brim and fantastic pheasant feathers by Kenya-based miliner Chloe Mitchell
Black and white straw saucer with flying rim trimmed with lace by American milliner Tiffany Arey
Mysteriously beautiful veiled black lace mask headpiece by British milliner Jane Taylor
Tan felt fedora with fascinating textured brim by Australian milliner Felicity Northeast
Two-toned blue sinamay percher with sweeping shape by New York-based milliner Sally Caswell
Futuristic black straw saucer brimmed design with orbiting planets by British brand Miss Ginny Millinery
Two blush leather halo bandeau headpieces with statement flowers here and here by Australian milliner Cessiah Alice
For our dear gents, this sleek black fedora with silk paisley hatband from Danish brand Hornskov København

And from British milliner Anne Tomlin, this amazing percher made from straw braid sewn with wire and formed into a caged button percher, trimmed with exquisite handmade lily-of-the-valley and silk abaca leaves.
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Lily-of-the valley are harbingers of brighter days ahead. Green is the colour of hope and is connected with the colour of springtime; hope represents the faith that things will improve after a period of difficulty, like the renewal of flowers and plants after the winter season regardless of the virus. Pollution levels are now lower and that can only be a good thing for nature to thrive and improve our immune systems. Maybe there will be things to learn after this crisis enabling us to rethink how we live our lives and how we can protect our natural world. 🌿 I made this very delicate hat for a competition. It didn't win but to me it it will always be a winner. Looking at it makes me happy and emotional. I loved the challenge of making a hat completely by hand. Sewing the wire in to the straw braid and hand sewing the edges took days but it was a really therapeutic project. 🌿 It currently sits under a big glass dome looking very green and positive. I hope it brings you some cheer in these difficult times. 🌿 A big thank you to my beautiful friend Sue @cesuemac for modelling it with such serenity and for Ian my photographer @skellu 🌱🌿🌱🌿 #lilyofthevalley #handmade #flowermaker #silkflowers #millinerymaker #millineryflowers #positivenews @bumble_mag @selvedgemagazine @bloom_the_magazine @hortusjournal #greenforce #healing #beautifulobjects #environment #botanical #naturecure #lookafteryourself #craftmanship #creativelifehappylife #hatalkcompetition

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Happy news from Bhutan on the safe arrival of a new prince on Thursday.
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❀ Announcement ❀ We are honoured to announce the birth of the second Royal Child of Their Majesties The King and Queen, a Prince, on the 19th of March 2020, corresponding with the 25th day of the 1st month of the Male Iron Rat year, in Lingkana Palace, Thimphu. Her Majesty and the royal baby are in good health, and His Royal Highness The Gyalsey was delighted to meet his younger brother. Their Majesties express their gratitude to the medical team, the Zhung Dratshang and to everyone for their well-wishes and prayers. While this remains a very happy occasion for the Royal family and the nation and people of Bhutan, Their Majesties wish to remind all Bhutanese to be mindful, responsible and supportive to each other in the wake of the COVID-19 virus. Their Majesties have everyone whose lives have been affected by this global pandemic in their thoughts and prayers. (Royal photograph taken in February 2020) #RoyalBaby #Bhutan #Prince

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The Belgian princes and princesses sharing waffles with the staff and residents of two nursing homes.
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⁣ ⁣ Solidair met de meest kwetsbaren: huisgemaakte wafels voor de bewoners en zorgpersoneel van twee rusthuizen en telefonische contacten met eenzame bejaarden. Samen sterk tegen Corona!⁣ —————⁣ Solidarité avec les personnes âgées : gaufres faites maison pour les résidents et le personnel soignant de deux maisons de repos et contacts téléphoniques pour soutenir les personnes âgées isolées. Tous ensemble contre le Corona !⁣ —————⁣ Solidarity with the most vulnerable: home-made waffles for the residents and nursing staff of two nursing homes and telephone conversations with lonely elderly people. Strong together against Corona!⁣ ⁣ #Belgianwaffles #waffles #wafels #gaufres #belges #gauffres #ouderen #elderly #personnesâgées #SamenTegenCorona #EnsembleContreCorona #GemeinsamGegenCorona #confinement #TogetherAgainstCorona #Corona #Covid_19 #COVID19BE #CoronaVirus #BelgianRoyalPalace #MonarchieBe

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What are you doing to spread support and encouragement these days?

Photos from social media as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Last Sunday, Princess Kako was spotted arriving at the Imperial Royal Palace to greet her grandparents on the occasion of her 25th birthday.
Also last Sunday, Princess Hisako attended the national Women’s Football Championship final in a chocolate bowler variation with interesting black knotted felt hatband. On January 1st, she attended the Emperor’s Cup football match in an ecru bumper hat with fur brim and side bow.


Members of the Norwegian royal family wore simple bandeau headpieces (some in pink, presumably a statement of hope) for yesterday’s funeral of Ari Behn. Princess Laurentien wore a sleek black turban-style hat. You can also read Princess Märtha Louise’s touching statement, released last night, here.


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The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Statement folded star headpiece by British milliner Bee Smith
Elegant brimless blocked hat in oxblood felt by Russian milliner Lia Gureeva
Dark green ruffled velvet bandeau by UK brand Camilla Rose Millinery
White button percher with wonderful printed twists by Hong Kong-based Irish milliner Noeleen

Lovely picture of the Emperor and Empress Emeritus and their family, taken in mid-December
Amazing new photo of Queen Elizabeth and the UK’s future 3 kings released to celebrate this new decade
New Year portrait greeting from the Luxembourg royal family

Photos from social media as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Empress Masako, Crown Princess Kiko, Princess Mako and Princess Kako wore pastel silk-covered small scale hats on December 23 for a visit to Imperial Palace for Emperor Emeritus Akihito’s 86th birthday.



On Christmas Day, Queen Sonja wore a chic brown fedora with striped hatband matching her scarf to Holmenkollen Chapel in Oslo.
French magazine Point de Vue featured an in-depth interview with Belgian milliner Fabienne Delvigne. It’s in French but with the help of an auto-translator, is still an interesting read.
The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Adore the stitching detail on this grey trilby from Japanese millinery brand Maxim
Snazzy black knit ski hat with vibrant sequinned trim from New-York-based milliner Abigail Alridge
Textured ivory halo bandeau with flying baubles by Irish milliner Julie Kenny
Relaxed tan felt fedora with macrame side detail from American milliner Genevieve Rose
And the perfect headpiece for New Year’s Eve in cut charcoal grey feathers with a crystal studded veil from UK-based Italian milliner Guilia Mio
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My "Black Feathers" crown in all its glory! We could have gone for a classic total black look, but we thought that was a good idea to show how it beautifully sits with any other colour and style. The gown is an original '40 from Claire collection and it will be put for sale...eventually...😁 My "Black Feathers" crown is available to purchase (£285 +postage) and ready to be shipped in 2 working days! Make sure you get in touch fast, I'm going back to Italy for Xmas! photo @isoelegantweddings HAMU @pincurlsvintageservices . . @giulia.mio.millinery #bespokedesign #millinerycouture #headwear #partyheadpiece #bespokemillinery #feathers #festiveseason #party #xmasparty #newyearseve #giuliamiomillinery #giftideas #handmade #madeinleicester #leicester

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More lovely Christmas photo greetings from:  Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia;
the Dutch Royal Family;
the Cambridges;
and the Sussexes.
And finally, the Swedish royal family’s annual documentary of their year can be watched here– turn on closed captioning in Swedish then enable your browser’s auto-translator to read the text in your preferred language.

 

Photos from social media as indicated

Nobel Peace Prize 2019

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King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit all attended 2019 Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony yesterday in Oslo. 

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Queen Sonja repeated her black beret for this event. The brimless design follows an interesting pyramid shape and is rimmed with black sequins that give it much sparkle and dimension. We’ve seen it a few times before… so alas, there’s not much new to add.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: Dec 10, 2018; Feb 7, 2014; Dec 11, 2013; Dec. 10, 2008

Crown Princess Mette Marit repeated her chunky gold bandeau headpiece. While she has often worn it woven with a contrasting ribbon in the past, this time the headpiece stood on its own.

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Designer: Prada
Previously Worn: April 16, 2015; Jan 17, 2015; October 20, 2012; May 31, 2012; April 17, 2010 

This event is one of a few annual hatted events for the Norwegian Royals and, as such, I’m a little disappointed there weren’t any new hats yesterday. Any new thoughts about these designs?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

This Week’s Extras

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Early last month, Princess Hisako and Princess Tsuguko took in events for the 74th National Sports Festival in a pair of pale hats. Princess Hisako also kicked this week off at the National Dietary Improvement Conference in Miyazaki in a very interesting hat with black brim and patterned burgundy silk crown and leaves at the side


Lady Kitty Spencer attended the Melbourne Cup Monday in a dark blue stemmed beret percher with leaf studded veil by Awon Golding and on Tuesday in a soaring brimmed black Stephen Jones creation.
Queen Sonja welcomed Slovenian president on a state visit on Wednesday in a powder blue and grey felt hat with cutouts across the front. At first glance, I thought it was a repeat but it’s new- and surprisingly close in appearance to its predecessor. 

 


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Also on Wednesday, Empress Masako arrived at the Imperial Royal Palace (to rehearse the upcoming Daijosai ceremony) on Wednesday in her almond silk covered bumper hat. On Thursday, Princess Akiko wore a grey hat with interesting upfolded brim on a visit to Fujinomiya to open the 7th World Tea Festival. 


Queen Margrethe opened an exhibition on Germany yesterday at the Danish National Museum in Copenhagen. She repeated her deep purple felt hat with sidesweeping brim and side bow.
The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Fantastic fuchsia textured straw pillbox with oversize, flying pink bow by Australian milliner Irene Moore
London-based Irish milliner Philip Treacy’s lavender velvet felt trilby with silk hatband and fringed bow
Black straw hat with beautiful bias folded brim and feather trim by Dutch milliner Myra van de Korput
Graphic royal blue cutout origami halo bandeau by Australian milliner Lauren Ritchie
Black felt percher with crin ruffle and black and white feathers by British brand Hostie Hats
Whimsical lilac straw pillbox with statement silk allium flower trim by Australian milliner Victoria Henderson
Angular purple felt hat with the most fantastic folded ribbon hatband by Spanish milliner Eugenia Jimenez
From Australian brand Jack and Jill Millinery, a cheeky yellow straw brimmed cap with horse bit trim
Simple black felt cloche made special with added applique floral vines. Made by US milliner Jennifer Hoertz
Red felt button percher with impressively sculpted trim by British brand Gillys Millinery
Shell-shaped percher hat in striped tan and pink silk abaca with feather by Spain-based milliner Donna Hartley
Incredible gold bandeau headpiece with ombre stacked feather plume by Australian milliner Wendy Scully

And from Australian milliner Jo Peterson, this black disc edged in pink crin with amazing string art trim.


This Week’s Extras

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On Thursday, Queen Beatrix opened the opening of the 79th session of the Institut de Droit international (IDI) in the Hague. She topped her black floral dress with a black straw hat with tall, pleated Breton style brim.
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Princess Ingrid’s confirmation took place yesterday in the Chapel of the Royal Palace in Oslo. For this milestone, she, Crown Princess Mette Marit, Queen Sonja and Princess Märtha Louise, all  wore traditional Norwegian bunads with the folk costume’s wreath-style rolled headpiece .

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Ingrid’s new bunad was a gift from her grandparents, King Harald and Queen Sonja. In a wonderfully personal touch, Queen Sonja, who was a trained dressmaker before beginning her royal life, helped create the traditional folk dress.
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Ingrid’s godmother, Crown Princess Victoria, attended the event in a lilac silk chiffon dress with matching headpiece. of  lilac silk ribbon pleated flowers with hand beaded centers from Parant Parant Couture Headpieces by Örjan Jackobsson. Crown Princess Mary, who attended with Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Christian, wore a new folded headpiece in plum straw that wrapped around her head with a side rosette.
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Today, Princess Kako attended a memorial service for victims of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake at the Metropolitan Memorial Hall in Tokyo. She wore a sedate black silk covered hat with wide hatband and short kettle brim.

Also today, Queen Elizabeth was joined by Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence for Sunday service at Crathie Kirk in Scotland. The Queen repeated a raspberry Rachel Trevor Morgan hat with sidesweeping short brim and felt feather trim. Princess Anne wore a new brown felt trilby with extended brim and what looks like a spray of feathers on the side by Amy Morris-Adams, different from  the very similar brown trilby with side bow she wore for the first time LAST Sunday.

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The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Sleek olive green felt cloche with metallic gold hatband from Melbourne brand Contempromental Millinery
White straw boater hat with lace overlaid brim by German brand MATAdesign
Pale blue straw capulet with lime hatband and navy honeycomb veil from Dutch milliner Wies Mauduit
Exquisitely dramatic black lace headpiece by UK-based Italian milliner Guilia Mio
Pink buntal button with delightful ruffled swoosh from Australian milliner Rachel Henry
Rust felt pillbox with black pleated ombre trim by British milliner Jane Taylor
White percher with swirling black feathers from British milliner George Durdy
Copper straw hat with relaxed crown, wide brim and feathers by German milliner Nicky Marquardt
Purple silk abaca turban with magenta leather orchids by Australian brand Murley and Co.
Emerald silk covered button percher with crin ovelay and gold feather by Czech milliner Jolanta Kotabova
Cream and poppy red straw hat with marvelous side sweeping brim by Dutch milliner Myra van de Korput
Fantastic black straw hat with rainbow tipped ostrich feathers by Anthony Peto Chapelier

And from Australian hat shop The Essential Hat and milliner Catherine Ellen, this sunny yellow straw picture hat with cut-out brim.

The Danish monarchy released a trio of portraits to mark Prince Nikolai’s 20th birthday
Lovely portrait of the Norwegian king, queen and crown princely family taken before the formal dinner following Princess Ingrid’s confirmation
Pierre Casiraghi was part of the sailing team for Greta Thunberg’s landmark voyage and navigated some rather rough seas.
Empress Masako and the Imperial princesses donned traditional kimonos on Friday for a palace tea party hosted for African leaders.

We end this week with an August 27 performance”The Swan” by Saint-Saëns by Empress Emerita Michiko and flutist Karl-Heinz Schütz (jump to 0:30 to start)

Photos from social media as indicated

Greek Royal Wedding 20 Years On: Norwegian & Swedish Royal Guests

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Continuing our look back at the July 9, 1999 wedding of Princess Alexia of Greece and Carlos Quintana, we turn our attention to hats worn by members of the Norwegian and Swedish royal families. Queen Sonja topped an iridescent lime suit with a picture hat in slightly darker green straw. The hat featured a shallow, rounded crown and a wide brim with dowturned edge and was trimmed with lovely lime silk orchids.

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Queen Silvia also wore a hat much larger than the styles we see her favour most often today. In dove grey straw, her picture hat’s round, flat crown topped an oversize mushroom brim. The hat was simply trimmed with a wide grey silk hat and and brim binding. With her grey ensemble, the overall look oozed elegance.

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Crown Princess Victoria was just 22 at the time of this wedding and, I suspect, not yet a customer of couture hats. Her slouchy brown stitched hat followed an hourglass shape (popular at the time) with upturned Kettle brim and bow on the side.

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Princess Madeleine wore a pink sinamay hat. The hat’s boater style crown was covered in pleated rows of crin and the cartwheel brim, in a relaxed crin ruffle overlay. The hat’s classic shape in light crin embellishment made a sweet and feminine choice for the teenage princess, even if the trailing bow down the back was a bit twee.

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Some of you have commented on the large number of picture hats at this wedding and the two added here were among my favourites. What do you think of these hats?

Photos from Getty as indicated