This week Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 94th birthday & I thought it was the perfect opportunity to look at my favourite Top 10 hats of her’s that I love. But I couldn’t narrow it down to just 10….so I’m sharing my Top 15 instead.
The Queen wore this green floral hat to Ascot in 1973. I love the draping at the back of the head & around this time we saw her wears this style a lot. The white flowers really are a pretty addition too & make it feel very fresh & summery!
Once again at Royal Ascot, in 2016 the Queen wore this vibrant pink hat. I love the feathers on it; it’s very unlike her to have that much feather work & usually something like this would be seen on Camilla’s hats. But actually it works really well with the smaller brim. **
Considering all of the decorative & elaborate hats the Queen has worn, this is not an obvious choice for a favourite hat’s list I’m sure, but this hat made me stop scrolling & zoom in. There is something about the simplicity of it & the weaving technique that intrigues me; it cleverly incorporates the fabric from her coat. As it’s brimless too, we can see all of her face easily, & this is something that she is conscious of as she knows everyone wants a photograph of her!
This is a really famous hat of Queen Elizabeth’s, she wore it in 1985 & there are soft tulips hanging down the back of the hat. This was made by Frederick Fox & you will always see it on display in any millinery exhibitions of the Queen’s wardrobe. It’s beautiful & this photo does not do it justice. *
I love the crown of this hat! It’s so simple… just layers & layers of veiling. It’s textured, fun, effective & very unusual! This hat makes me smile! It was worn in 2003 & I’ve not seen her wear anything similar since.
This photo is beautiful, it was taken in 1945 & the large sweeping up brim is very dramatic. I adore the fabric, peeping out from under the crown too, just giving a little extra detail to the front, made from the same fabric of the bow at the back of her head. I’d love to know what colours this was made in.
Possibly my favourite! I love these muted colours, I think taupe & baby blue go so well together. The buttons up the front of the crown echo her buttons on her coat & the crown is a rather unusual inverted v-shape. She can easily wear this dramatic crown as the fabric & simple decoration does the talking so there isn’t too much else that needs embellishing it. **
The Queen used to wear brimless hats a lot more & this is a lovely example of how they can be elaborate & striking still. This slanted velvet pillbox has a ruched element at the base & gorgeous orange stripes decorating it too. I think it’s really elegant.
You can see with this vibrant yellow design, worn in 1997, just how bold some of the Queen’s hat’s have been. The hat itself is fairly plain with little decoration, but then we see this dramatic front facing brim that stands proudly from the edge. This hat makes a real statement, both in style & colour. *
This hat offers another vibrant & bold look; there are so many wonderful elements about this hat! Firstly, I just love the green & pink colour combination; it’s one of my favourites. The brim is made of window sinamay, so it’s a nice open weave & gives a lovely light balance in comparison to the strong, solid crown. The 4 arrow head feathers just finish the hat completely! **
This hat is a classic winter fur hat, but it’s incredibly elegant. I think it’s fabulous; it’s not particularly unusual, and it doesn’t need to be. The Queen wears so many hats in so many styles & this just sits beautifully.
I’ve seen the Queen wear berets with this style & shape before, but it’s the addition of the gold satin bow that completes this hat. I actually think the bow has been added at the last minute & wasn’t part of the original design; it goes to show to little changes like that can make all the difference.
How cool is this hat? The draped twist on the top of the crown is so unusual. It is complimented with a small plain brim & contrasting band. There needs to be nothing else added to this hat, it’s wonderful. *
Another famous hat of The Queen’s is this blue spotted pillbox. Made from a delicate chiffon, the same fabric as her dress; & then perfectly decorated with equally delicate draped feathers. It’s effortlessly sublime & 30+ years since it was created, it wouldn’t be out of place today at any wedding or ladies day. *
Ok I know it’s not a hat; but it’s a pretty, delicate veiled skull cap. It is then decorated with black satin bows sporadically placed all over it & it just makes me smile! It’s fun & full of whimsy! **
I hope you have enjoyed reading this post… and wishing you a very happy birthday Her Majesty.
K
xx
* – made by Frederick Fox & Stella Mclaren
** & main featured image – made by Angela Kelly & Stella Mclaren