Tag Archives: Timothy Laurence

Remembrance Sunday 2020

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Members of the British royal family attended the National Service Of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in Westminster today. The Prince of Wales, Princess Royal, Dukes of Cambridge and Kent, and Earl of Wessex took part in the ceremony, which was considerably scaled back from years past (26 former service men and women took part in stark contrast to the more than 10,000 veterans usually included in this event).

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The Queen, Duchesses of Cornwall and Cambridge, and the Countess of Wessex looked on from balconies above the Cenotaph.

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Queen Elizabeth wore a new black hat with slightly angled stovepipe crown and cartwheel brim, edged in a wide stripe of black binding. The hat is trimmed with a spray of overlapping stitched leaves and a small side bow.

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Designer: unconfirmed
Previously Worn: this hat is new

The Duchess of Cornwall repeated a black felt beret hugger percher wonderfully trimmed with black felt and jinsin twists sweeping over the hat, studded on the side with a large black silk bloom.

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Designer: Philip Treacy. Dress and Coat by Bruce Oldfield.
Previously Worn: Mar 13, 2014

The Duchess of Cambridge wore a new percher hat with saddle shaped velvet felt base, embellished with a beautifully proportioned multi-looped silk bow.

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Designer: Philip Treacy “OC 784” from AW 2020. Coat by Catherine Walker
Previously Worn: this hat is new

The Countess of Wessex was also in a new hat, her fur felt pillbox trimmed with a sweeping embroidered feather applique.

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Designer:  Jane Taylor “Felt Pillbox with Embroidered Feather Trim” from AW 2020. Cape by Zara.
Previously Worn: this hat is new

While the hats at such events are secondary, this quartet really is stellar.

Photos from Getty as indicated 

British Royals Commemorate Remembrance Sunday

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Members of the British Royal Family joined veterans, military servicepeople, members of government and civilians for a Remembrance Ceremony held yesterday morning at The Cenotaph, in Whitehall.

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The Prince of Wales, who placed wreaths on The Cenotaph of behalf of his mother, was joined by the Princess Royal, the Dukes of Cambridge, Sussex, York, and Kent and the Earl of Wessex, all in military uniform.

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Queen Elizabeth, who watched the service from a Whitehall balcony for the third year, repeated a black straw hat with silk crepe covered crown and binds the upturned kettle brim. The hat is simply trimmed with a stripe of black silk which circles the crown, anchored by two covered buttons in the font.

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Designer: Angela Kelly, made by Stella McLaren
Previously Worn: June 27, 2017; Nov 8, 2015

The Duchess of Cornwall wore a new, brimless hat. The design follows an oversize helmet (or mushroom top?) shape with gently rounded edges. The curved lines of the hat are dramatically accentuated with a mass of overlapping black feathers that circle around it.

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Designer: Philip Treacy. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new

The Duchess of Cambridge also wore a new, brimless hat, her design built on a formed teardrop beret base with gentle crease down the center which gives it a gentle curve. The hat is beautifully trimmed with black braid ‘frog’ fasteners and corresponding beaded buttons which, along with the embroidered and tassel trimmed swags on her coat, give a thoughtful military nod to the day.

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Designer: Philip Treacy. Coat by Catherine Walker
Previously Worn: this hat is new

The Duchess of Sussex wore a streamlined black felt hat with wide cartwheel brim. The straight sides of the hat’s crown elevate its sophistication, as does its slim hatband, tied in front in an elegantly austere bow.

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Designer: Stephen Jones’ ‘Facetime’ from AW 2019 Miss Jones Collection. Coat by Stella McCartney. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new

The Countess of Wessex wore a black felt perching saucer hat trimmed with a large bow. A subtle swirl on the inside of the saucer (created through hand shaping) gives lovely movement to the design.

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Designer: Jane Taylor. It is the ‘Black Felt Hat With Bow’ from AW 2019. 
Previously Worn: this hat is new

Princess Alexandra and the Duchess of Gloucester usually attend this event but so far, do not appear in any photographs (I’ll update the post if they do). In the meantime, there are some beautiful new hats here to admire.

Photos from Getty as indicated 

This Week’s Extras

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On Wednesday, Crown Princess Kiko wore a beige silk covered pillbox to visit the emperor and empress emeritus on the occasion of her birthday
A salmon pink sculpted bumper hat on Princess Hisako on Thursday to open the The Okura Tokyo hotel.


Earl of Wessex in a fedora yesterday in Bundeena, Australia on a walk with local high school children on a new Royal National Park national trail, opened to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.
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Queen Elizabeth in a repeated Angela Kelly magenta boater hat to attend church in Scotland this morning
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Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence and Princess Anne in casual hats to watch Zara Tindall compete in the Gatcombe Horse Trials at Gatcombe Park this weekend
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Brace yourselves- there’s a LONG list of fantastic new millinery designs that caught my eye this week:

Such a pretty magnolia flower headpiece by milliner Australian milliner Meredith McMaster
Exquisite saucers with statement silk ruffles in muted pink and purple by Australian milliner Rachel Henry
Ecru felt teardrop beret with soaring pheasant feathers anchored with pearls by Irish milliner Sophie Hunter
Sunshine yellow straw wide-brimmed bergère hat with statement feather by Australian brand Peacock Millinery
Black guipure lace bandeau with Swarovski crystals by American brand Bay Willow Design
For our gents, the most handsome midnight blue beaver felt fedora by Hornskov København
Fantastic gold and black printed, pleated turban with curling trim by Australian milliner Sandy Aslett
Whimsical pink hat with scalloped straw ribbon brim (and a dragonfly!) by Belgian milliner Amélie D’Hooghvorst
Mint green teardrop percher with flowers and white crin swirl by Irish brand Noeleen Designer Hats
Grey and pink sinamay and parasisal boater hat with woven crown from Australian milliner Jo Marree
Classic red felt brimmed hat stunning silk hatband from Belorussian milliner Olga Lumiere
Tasmania-based milliner Meghan Briton’s statement take on a white pillbox with black bow 
Pink textured sinamay based percher with wonderful floral trim by Aussie brand Locopa Designs
More pompoms (!!) on this fantastical design by Canadian milliner David Dunkley 

And two stunners to show here-  from Irish milliner Aoife Kirwan a percher in Irish linen beautifully embroidered with the country’s floral and fauna and from Australian milliner Alana English, a sky blue design with curving crown pleat, windowpane sinamay brim, pink hatband and spiky pink feather poufs.


A new exhibit at The Hermitage Amsterdam opens today featuring jewels of the Imperial Russian court, including this amazing brooch worn by Elizabeth (1741-62), Empress of Russia
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Princess Nobuko suffered a first lumbar vertebral fracture in a fall this week. I’m sure you join me in wishing her a speedy recovery, especially as she reportedly wants to attend the upcoming Imperial Enthronement.
Some lovely new portraits of Crown Princess Kiko, released for her 53rd birthday
And we end the week with a new royal hat wearer- Prince Amadeo of Belgium and his wife Elisabetta welcomed a son, Maximillian

Photos from social media as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Weighing in on last week’s extras a bit late. Stay tuned later today for a separate post on the British royals at the Braemar Games and church this weekend.

On September 1, Princess Märtha Louise donned a fluffy pink organza and net fascinator for Derbyday at Øvrevoll Racecourse.
On August 31, Queen Margrethe wore a white straw hat with kettle brim and lace hatband to unveil a statue of Bernhard Arp Sindberg in Aarhus. The hat is so well paired with her blue and white dress.
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Crown Princess Mary repeated her black straw wide brimmed hat with pleated wave on one side of the brim last Thursday for Danish Flag Day. The hat, by Danish milliner Susanne Juul, had a newly added large black pleated flower on the side.

 

For Prince Hisahito’s 13th birthday last Friday, the Imperial Household Agency released photos taken on the private leg of his recent visit to Bhutan with his parents that show the young prince and Princess Kiko in informal cotton bucket hats. It’s fun to see the Akishinos looking so informal!
Princess Anne, Timothy Laurence and Mike Tindall in casual hats yesterday at the Burghley Horse Trials to watch Zara compete (she took a fall off her horse but reportedly, both were not injured)
Empress Masako in a white hat with double sky blue hatband and back bow yesterday at the 39th National Sea Enrichment Festival in Akita City.
The following new millinery designs caught my eye last week:
Black straw bumper with trio of large, rolled crin & straw flowers by New Zealand milliner Monika Neuhauser
Mustard yellow felt percher (in such a unique shape!) with bows by British milliner Rachel Trevor Morgan
Two-tone sinamay rolled disc hat with wonderful floral trim (see the back!) by Kenyan milliner Chloe Mitchell

And from Russian milliner Denis Gulyaev, this sculpted fedora in the most stunning shade of dark raspberry felt with a deep purple wrapped hatband.

Empress Emerita Michiko underwent surgery for breast cancer Saturday (Sunday in Japan). I’m sure you all join me in surrounding her with wishes for healing and wellness.
Interesting article in the New York Times about Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (Princess Beatrice’s boyfriend). Seems he’s much more than a handsome face.
Charming photos shared by the Belgian monarchy of Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore on their first day of school last week
Several royals came up against interesting doppelgangers last week- King Philippe and Queen Mathilde both faced their likenesses on canvas (the portrait of Queen Mathilde is wonderful!) while the Duchess of Cornwall met herself in this charming work in blackwork needlepoint (a type of embroidery using only black thread).
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Photos from social media as indicated

Royal Ascot Day 3: Princess Anne & Vice Admiral Laurence

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I’m so happy to welcome Ellie Vallerini, creator of Sussex-based Ellie Vallerini Hats, here to chat about all of today’s royal hats at Ascot!  

Princess Anne paired a new silk teal dress and muted teal coat with a matching hat. The straw design, in the same muted teal as the coat, has a rounded crown and high, sidesweeping brim and is embellished with a curling, multi-looped straw bow interspersed with trimmed feathers.

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Royal Hats: Happy claps! A new hat for Princess Anne!

Ellie Vallerini: How great to see Princess Anne in a new hat! The shape of this hat is fantastic, it’s always a flattering angle and a perfect size for her. I like the colour on her, although feel she could have gone a few tones darker. Although the hat itself is a bit safe the outfit altogether looks very elegant and I like the look of her dress colour underneath.

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Royal Hats: I’m with you, Ellie- the shape and scale are wonderful and the curling straw bow and feathers are a lively but still refined decoration. A few shades darker would have been great,although I think this one works thanks to the darker teal silk from Anne’s dress repeated on the hatband and piping on the bow and jacket lapel edges. It’s so good to see her embracing some softer, less severe hat shapes than some of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s designs still lurking in her hat closet!

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Designer: Amy Morris-Adams
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Princess Anne arrived with her mother in the first royal carriage, along with her husband Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, and younger brother, the Duke of York, both who wore a black antique silk top hats.

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What do you think of Anne’s new hat today?

Photos from Getty as indicated