When Crown Princess Mette-Marit appeared at Queen Margrethe’s 75th birthday celebration yesterday in chunky gold headband, I was reminded that this headband has been changed up several times with the use of different ribbon trims. Don’t get me wrong- a changed ribbon does NOT elevate this headband to the status of a hat but it gives us something a little out of the ordinary to debate. Which version of this headband works best, do you think?
Version #1: With a side bow in oyster silk worn at Queen Margrethe’s 70th birthday celebration, April 17, 2010.
Version #2: With a wide navy silk side bow at King Harald and Queen Sonja’s 75th birthday celebration, May 31, 2012
Version #3: Woven with a navy ribbon tied at the side in a bow for the Luxembourg royal wedding on October 20, 2012
Version #4: Woven with a red velvet ribbon and worn yesterday at Queen Margrethe’s 75th birthday lunch
UPDATE- Version #5: Woven with black velvet ribbon which continues around her low ponytail. This was worn for the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony on December 12, 2015
Which outing of this golden headband to you think works best?
Photos from Bauer Griffin via Zimbio and Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
Where can I get this headband??? Its beautiful!!
I have long thought it to be a Valentino piece but can’t find confirmation. My apologies.
None, I strongly dislike this look.
Headbands are for schoolgirls. Sidebows are for nobody.
The best I think is Version #3: Woven red ribbon with side bow, worn yesterday at Queen Margrethe’s 75th birthday lunch. At least she is dressed in the red and white Danish flag colours. Her coat is a very good cut. I think for these formal occasions she should wear a proper hat and not a hairband, which is not formal enough especially for a mature Crown Princess.
I like version #2 the best. I think her headbands are neither fantastic nor a failure, they are a style quirk of hers. Which by the way, I like. I like headbands myself and I am middle-aged. I think some of the comments are a little sharp.
Enough about the skull earrings, everyone. Let’s talk about the headband. Is it fantastic or is a fashion failure?
My apologizes regarding the earrings Hat Queen, and at the same time, this is not a Hat. It is something a young girl would wear, regardless of the color of the ribbons or scarf, it is for a young girl to wear not a mature woman and most certainly not at an event such as this. Good grief doesn’t she have a stylist to help her…….yet the coat was very becoming, this time.
Hmm
Give up the headbands – you are not aged 12.
There are lots of other small but stunning hats out there.
Loved her outfits though!
1. I believe she also wore this headband for Margrethe’s 70th which was a nice tribute to wear it again for her 75th.
2. I feel if any Royal’s birthday celebration called for untraditional she chose the right one. Margrethe has always had a quirky fashion sense.
3. To whoever was asking, here earrings were the Norwegian designer Børre Olsen.
Sarah- you’re right! I had do dig to find a photo but updated the post above.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit is such a beautiful lady, but her fashion sense is sometimes just crazy. Xxx
Just as an aside, the lady behind Crown Princess MM in the last photo looks a bit like Crown Princess Masako of Japan. It wasn’t was it?
No- that’s not Crown Princess Masako!
I prefer the big navy bow. And I saw that Mette-Marit’s skull earrings are from Norwegian jewelry designer Børre Olsen, not McQueen?
I had to wear headbands for a while when I wanted my bangs to grow out – but even then I ditched them when I wanted to dress up and just pinned the hair back. I don’t find the look appropriate for the occasion nor do I think it’s particularly flattering for her. As for the earrings – they are probably McQueen. The Duchess of Cambridge managed to get away with a very subtle skull pattern last year because the skulls were barely visible – but this is a tad too much on the nose.
I don’t know if this is what you are referring to Kat…. but Kate has a red Alexander McQueen clutch that in its original form featured a skull as the clasp. Needless to say she had it removed and a different clasp customised. Good decision IMO. I too am finding the skull earrings just a little too creepy and not appropriate for the engagement. I do however LOVE the all white coat/dress option and particularly like the red and white colour scheme in tribute to the celebrating monarch. Nice.
No, I was referring to a brocade jacket she wore last year for the Trooping the Color parade. The skull pattern was barely visible. As for MM’s earrings – as others have mentioned maybe they were an in-joke.
The earrings?
I just noticed something after I posted. The earrings she is wearing with the red headband. Is that skull earrings? Unless it is Halloween, she needs to deep six those earrings! Why wear skull earrings to a birthday celebration for a 75 year old woman? I mean come on M-M. Not appropriate unless it is a standing joke between the two women. Am I missing something here?
#1 No in so many ways! #2 I like because of the hairstyle she is wearing with the headband. #3 I like the bright color with her white.
#2. It is much better with hair up and low color contrast. The first one is my least favorite-that huge bow is too little girlie imo
Of these 3 choices, I prefer The second. #1 looks like a last minute bow was tied, and frankly her daughter’s hair looked like more time was spent on it. As for the red… pretty color on her, but the skull earrings lend a creepy feeling that I can’t ignore
None of them.
Ditto
Me too!
You know, I don’t mind it. I like that MM tries something different, and she’s clearly gone off big hats these days. I really like the navy version with that lace coat. Not crazy about the red, but it’s clearly a tribute to the Danes, so we’ll let it pass. I know her minimal Scandy chic isn’t for everyone, but I quite like it.
MM and her ‘interesting hair ‘things’ !! She would have been right at home in the late 50s-mid 60s when we all were big into head bands!