HomeFashionThe maddest hatter of European royalty! From an Ascot spectacular to a wide-brimmed wonder at Queen Letizia’s wedding – a colourful catalogue of Queen Maxima’s showstopping headgear
The maddest hatter of European royalty! From an Ascot spectacular to a wide-brimmed wonder at Queen Letizia’s wedding – a colourful catalogue of Queen Maxima’s showstopping headgear
Hats are often like Marmite, you either love them or you hate them.
But when you can wear them as well as the Queen of the Netherlands, they become a wardrobe staple.
Queen Maxima, who is rarely seen in public without a glamorous, gravity-defying hair accessory to highlight her gorgeous blonde locks.
She has opted to wear hats for some of the most memorable occasions of her life, including the baptism of her second daughter, Princess Alexia.
Maxima, who celebrates her 52nd birthday today, looked regal as she wore an elegant lilac flowered hat, decorated with netting and pearls, while cradling her baby.
Queen Maxima incorporated an eye-catching tilted hat when she visited India in 2019. Her salmon-coloured hat sat on the side of her head with tropical feathers coloured turquoise, tangerine, beige and roseOn a day where everyone typically opts for a hat, the royal ascot, Maxima fought to claim her title as Queen of the hats as she went above and beyond with her blush coloured tilted hatThe beautiful head piece had several flowers on it, which gave the illusion they were coming out of the hat, almost as though it was an elegant vase
She certainly calculated which hat would pair best with the climate when she made a state visit to India in 2019, opting for a rather tropical tilted affair, which sat on the side of her head.
The jaw-dropping head piece boasted turquoise, tangerine, beige and rose feathers.
Milliner Laura Cathcart said the royal has the perfect face shape for the wide brimmed hat.
She added: ‘Note too that she always has hats that show her face because she’s aware of her role as a public figure – the brim is an upward brim, rather than a downward brim. It lets people see who she is – she needs a hat that is lifted off her face.’
Stylist Simon Glazin agreed, also telling FEMAIL: ‘Whoever said big, statement hats were saved just for Ascot obviously hasn’t met Queen Maxima.
‘She favours an oversized brim, low on one side, high on the other which not only adds to the drama of it all, but also helps frame her face. A trick if you wanted to dress up your occasion looks but not be swallowed up by your accessories.’
The Mail’s new Royals section has put together a list of Queen Maxima’s most impressive hats, but which one was your favourite? Let us know in the comments below…
Queen Maxima stunned in a dark canary yellow hat when she visited Luxembourg in 2018The Queen certainly knows how to make her presence felt with a bespoke wide-brimmed ruby red hat with hot pink detailing along the edgesThe hat was certainly a showstopper. The pleated edges were reminiscent of the ocean’s wavesGraceful: Maxima’s hat defied gravity when she attended the Order of the Garter service at St George’s Chapel in summer 2019. She donned a tilted salmon-coloured hat which had a number of different fabric flowers which were carefully placed on one side. Her blonde tresses were tied in a low, relaxed bunThe Queen of the Netherlands usually pairs her hats to her outfits, as she wore a tangerine sleeveless dressThe apricot-coloured and swirled head piece tilted on the side of the Queen’s head, showing off her face but also bringing some mystery to her lookLovely in lavender: Maxima looks regal in a sheer violet coloured wide-brimmed sun hat which features ribbon detailing and a number of purple flowersQueen of the Netherlands wore an impressive netted lilac hat which had a large flower on the front to her daughter Princess Alexia’s baptism in 2005This bespoke hat is specifically made to match her ensemble. Simple yet effective, the silver coloured metallic hat certainly made her stand out from the crowdQueen Maxima stole the show with her glorious blush coloured wide-brimmed hat at King Felipe and Queen Letizia’s wedding in 2004Mad hatter! Queen of the Netherlands donned an asymmetrical chocolate coloured hat when she visited Rotterdam in 2014. With a navy detailing along the rim and a blue coloured bow wrapped around the centre of the hat, the Queen certainly made her presence known as she flashed a smile
