Mad Hattery Has Moved!

I'm so excited to announced that Mad Hattery! has a new home on the web! The site has moved to:

http://madhattery.royalroundup.com/

Check out the new site for all of the hattery posts you've loved over the past year, plus brand-new content from the months of April and May 2009!

You didn't think I'd let Princess Anne's Easter hat go by without a comment, did you? ;) Hope to see you over at the new place for more millinery madness!

Australian Fire Memorial Service: HRH The Duchess of Cornwall

Good to see The Duchess out and about again after her bout of bronchitis -- I'm happy to see that she was well enough to attend this memorial service at Westminster Abbey!

And I think I almost love her hat. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'd be drooling over it if either the white bow were black or the trimming around the brim were black. Right now, there's just ... too much, especially with the distracting little curlique springing merrily out the side of the band.

State Visit from Mexico: HRH The Duchess of Gloucester

Tiara alert!

State visits are just an embarrassment of riches for the royal hattery-inclined. Here's The Duchess of Gloucester heading to a state banquet at the Guildhall for President Calderon and Señora Zavala during their state visit to the UK. Two tiaras from The Duchess in as many days! We really are spoiled this week...

This tiara is one that Queen Mary bought from the estate of Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia in 1929. I've seen it called the Russian Palmette Tiara, though it's often also just identified by the fact that the center stone can be switched out to either an emerald, a diamond, or a kunzite, the pinky-purple stone that Birgitte is wearing here.

State Visit from Mexico: HRH The Duchess of Gloucester

Tiara alert!

There's The Duchess of Gloucester on the left, wearing Princess Marie Louise's Cartier Indian Tiara. It's absolutely lousy with diamonds, sapphires, and pearls. Wowza! I think The Queen must have declared it "go all out" night where the royal bling was concerned! Even Princess Michael's wearing a tiara (though I can't find a front-view picture of it), and I believe Sophie Wessex donned one, too!

State Visit from Mexico: HM The Queen

Tiara Alert!

And, holy moly, what a tiara alert it is, huh? That's the Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara, purchased by the Crown in 1957 and reworked with the giant center aquamarine after it was given to The Queen by the Brazilians as a part of a necklace. Only at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace can you bust out something with that much royal pizzazz. Even President Calderon looks a bit dazed!

State Visit from Mexico: HM The Queen

Okay, first things first -- The Queen looks absolutely fresh and glowing in this shade of pink, doesn't she? Adorable!

But ... oh, how I hate to say it ... I wouldn't be surprised if The Queen busted out of Horseguards, grabbed a guitar case, and skipped down the Mall singing "I Have Confidence" in this little chapeau.

(Also, the Mexican first lady, Señora Zavala, is rocking that Casablanca style hat, isn't she? ¡Muy bien!)

Whitechapel Bell Foundry: HM The Queen

I see you peeking around The Duke there, Your Maj! And although I will freely admit that your hat confuses me slightly, as the brim appears to be a symbol for some advanced mathematical function that I don't understand, I think it's sort of fun and whimsical. So, no need to hide!

Cheltenham Festival: Viscountess Linley

Looks like Serena Linley heard that I've been giving major kudos for the beret lately on the blog, because she's shown up at Cheltenham in one almost exactly like Zara Phillips's. And you're right, Viscountess -- I love it! Do enter in the hattery stakes more often, would you?

Cheltenham Festival: HRH The Princess Royal and Zara Phillips

Before we get to the hats, first things first: how much does Princess Anne look like her mother from this angle? If I didn't know any better, I'd think the picture of Anne was an older one of The Queen!

On to business, though: I have to say that I approve of both hats here. I think Anne's is edging on too wintry for this time of year, but it's passable (at least from this angle). And Zara's little beret is chic, especially with her white coat. We've seen it from her before -- at her grandparents' wedding anniversary service at Westminster Abbey a few years ago -- but it's just as cute now as it was then.

Cheltenham Festival: HM The Queen

Her Maj certainly does look chipper at her very first visit to Cheltenham, doesn't she? I love this hat. We've seen it out before, most recently at the unveiling of one of those silly little plaques in November, but if you're going to repeat a hat, why not choose a really cute one?