Zara Phillips Tindall balanced motherhood duties with her racing career this weekend at the Barbury Trials in Wiltshire. In between races, she was spotted taking her six month old daughter Mia for a walk. Sweet little Mia wore a white ruffled sun hat while Zara donned a comfy baseball hat. Proud Pappa Mike Tindall was on hand to cheer his wife and mind his daughter during the race.
Photos from Press Association via The Daily Mail and Stella Photo via Svenskdam
As we move on from glorious Ascot week, it is time to pick our favourite royal hat of this year’s races. This is no easy task as there are several hats that stood out brilliantly this year. So I turn to you, dearest readers, and ask which was your favourite royal hat of Ascot 2014?
Queen Elizabeth in pink Angela Kelly, blue Rachel Trevor Morgan and green flowered Rachel Trevor Morgan
The Duchess of Cornwall in cream pleated Philip Treacy and ice blue Philip Treacy
Princess Beatrice blue Sarah Cant and gold Misa Harada
A trio of Philip Treacy: Zara Phillips Tindall in white; Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein in cream, and white with black lace
Princess Eugnenie in cream and blush Nerida Fraiman; The Countess of St. Andrews in pink Yvette Jelfs
Lady Brabourne in red Dillon Wallwork; The Countess of Wessex in white Jane Taylor and navy Jane Taylor
Voting will remain open until June 30, 2013 at midnight GMT and we will celebrate the results soon thereafter. As always, you are welcome to vote as many times as you wish.
**UPDATE: See results here
Photos from Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse, Press Association and Press Association via The Daily Mail; Stuart C. Wilson/Getty, Chris Jackson/Getty and Chris Jackson/Getty via Zimbio; Julian Parker, Max Mumby/Indigo, Chris Jackson, Stuart C. Wilson, Chris Jackson and Chris Jackson via Getty; Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse and Rex via The Daily Mail; Chris Jackson/Gettyvia Zimbio; and Mark Cuthbert via Getty
After looking at the hats worn by Queen Elizabeth and Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Princess of Jordan, Sheikha of Dubai for the first day of Royal Ascot yesterday, my guest commenters British Milliner Katie Vale and American milliner Jill Courtemanche and I are going to look at the hats worn by the British Royal Family. Here goes!
Duchess of Cornwall in Philip Treacy
JC: I love that Camilla embraces wearing hats opposed to some who just plop on some old thing and go. She always manages to pull of what I think on a lot of women would just be too much hat. As such my first instinct is to say that the design of this hat is “heavy”, it has a lot going on (and a very distinct crown) but she carries it fabulously. The color lightens everything up and flatters her skin tone and the detail work on the trim is phenomenal. As a designer I can definitely say that putting that much trim on a hat and still managing to make it look light, is no easy task!
KV: I just love that Camilla has the confidence to wear such large hats. They suit her and she carries them well. The brim has an inverted edging I think, I really like that. And I think the decoration is dramatic! If there had been smaller decoration it would’ve been lost, because of the one plain colour.
RH: Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. I also adore Camilla in large picture hats and there is something so beautiful about the movement on the side decoration of this hat. This hat has a LOT going on- inverted edging, double grey straw bands around the crown, a blue net band around the crown, and the curled bow loop decoration on the side- but it is so well balanced it does not seem overdone. Paired with Camilla’s beautiful blue and silver coat dress, I think this outfit is perfection. My favourite hat of the day!
Princess Beatrice in Sarah Cant
JC: Fantastic! The color and the shape are both gorgeous on her. The hat is simple but the detailing in the texture really add a nice architectural feel to the hat while still keeping it ladylike. It’s fun and age appropriate but not a fascinator which is refreshing.
KV: I like the colour tones and the decoration on the top crown, but I don’t like the brim and how it slopes in one sweep.
RH: I love it! The combination of teal and navy feels so modern and is perfect for Princess Beatrice. I love the unusual shape of the hat and the stitched lines on the crown and brim- beautiful embellishment without being too much. Many hats would have been too busy with this lace dress but these two pieces are the perfect compliment. Modern, interesting but still very beautiful on Beatrice. Another one of my favourite hats of the day!
Princess Eugenie in Nerida Fraiman
KV: I try to find positives in everything….but to me this just looks like a clam shell on her head with a flower stuck on it. I’m really sorry but I’ve seen her wear so much better!
RH: I am a sucker for a black and white hat and I find the small pleats on the base of the hat give it some texture. Eugenie has certainly worn some more memorable hats but this one seems classic and rather sweet.
JC: I can’t really say anything bad about this hat, the colors are nice and soft and there is a lovely combination of textures but its not something I am going to remember. I would like to see a bit more pizazz and fun, it’s Ascot after all.
Countess of Wessex in Jane Taylor
JC: This hat is interesting to me, I can’t decide which way to go. The shape and the color are lovely on her and I very much like the textural combination of the beadwork with the buntal as it’s not something you commonly see and therefore feels fresh but it also looks a bit heavy and the quills are all bent up. I think because it Ascot and you want to go a bit more over the top, it works but I’m not in love with it.
RH: I feel like this is a confusing jumble of things going on. I like creative and fantastical hats but this one feels really disjointed. I do, however, like this pale blue on Sophie.
KV: Oh dear! This just highlights how important placement is! If this was 1-2″ more to the left, with the pearl facing directly front on it would just look so much better. As it is though…..I’m not a fan!
Princess Anne
JC: Why is she wearing this cocktail hat like a yarmulke? A very cute hat (if not a bit too youthful) and the colors match her suit effortlessly but in my opinion she has it on all wrong. I want to tilt it down towards her right eye so the veil cages over her eyes instead of her hair.
KV:Hhhmmmmm….the hat is nice and the colour tone matches her outfit really well, but it’s placed too far back. So it doesn’t sit right. Which is a shame as I really like her dress and jacket.
RH: Even with placement further forward as a cocktail hat should be (which would make SUCH an improvement), the brown and yellow colour combination seems really tired. I also think the flower plonked on the middle of this hat was not such a good idea. Anne has recently worn some new hats with brims; I think a more traditional shape with a brim works so much better for her than a cocktail hat.
Zara Phillips Tindall in Philip Treacy
KV: Does she ever get it wrong? A large front disc! Gorgeous! Modern! Stylish & chic. The spirals just add a splash of fun to it. The only thing is that as it’s all cream you can’t see the detail very well.
JC: I think Zara looks lovely in this hat. It’s a good shape for her and it’s a very clean, ladylike finish for her suit. I’m not wowed, I think we’ve seen this look before and as so it almost makes it look ordinary (which just sounds crazy because if one was to wear that here in the states it would be anything but).
Royal Hats: What a marvelous Ascot hat! I love the black and white colour combination, especially the mix of a rather sedate dress with a statement hat. Her chignon also balances the hat so very well. I don’t find this ordinary at all! Another one of my favourite hats of the day!
Photos from Getty as indicated
We all know Rachel Trevor Morgan as a milliner who creates beautiful hats for The Queen, Princess Alexandra and numerous other members of the British Royal family. She recently collaborated with Legoland Windsor to create a wardrobe of new hats for some very special royal clients:
The Queen and Duchess of Cornwall:
The Duchess of Cambridge and Carole Middleton (I am not sure why Carole was included… I think I will pretend she is The Princess Royal because this green hat would be marvelous on Princess Anne):
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie:
And Zara Phillips Tindall (shown below right with the designer herself in matching hats):
I think this collaboration is absolutely brilliant! Rachel Trevor Morgan not only created hats that reflect the style of the real person depicted in Lego, she also created miniature millinery works of art. It’s so fun and beautifully kicks off what will be a busy ten days of Trooping the Colour, Order of the Garter and Ascot hats beginning tomorrow. Hats off to Rachel Trevor Morgan for these brilliant designs!
Photos from Gareth Cattermole, Gareth Cattermole, Gareth Cattermole, Gareth Cattermole, Gareth Cattermole, Gareth Cattermole, Gareth Cattermole, Gareth Cattermole, Gareth Cattermole, Gareth Cattermole, and Gareth Cattermole via Getty
Members of the Phillips family stepped out yesterday to cheer Monbeg Dude (owned by Mike Tindall) race at the Grand National at Aintree. Zara Phillips looked great in a navy straw beret trimmed with navy silk roses and a checkerboard imprinted feather. Perched at the perfect angle on the side of her head, I thought this hat brought out her blue eyes and looked fantastic.
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
Designer: The “Lilly” by Gina Foster
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new
The great millinery surprise of the day, however, was the Princess Royal. Princess Anne wore a large navy picture hat with a square, sculpted crown and dramatic diagonal brim. The shape and scale was unlike any hat we have seen her wear and, most surprisingly, the hat looked like it was made in the past decade. While the pheasant feather trim was cheeky and fun, the furry wrap around the crown ruined the hat for me. Remove the fur and we have a fantastic hat here for Princess Anne. What do you think of these two new navy hats?
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
UPDATE: This photo shows the upper side of the brim on this hat appears to be covered in some sort of feathers. I still like the scale and shape of this hat but regrettably, need to declare the trimmings a disaster.
Designer: unknown. The shape of the crown is very similar to these hats worn by the Queen. The shape and over-trimming makes me guess it is the work of Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
