The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg celebrated their country’s national day today with a number of events begining wit an official ceremony and a military parade. The third event of the day, an annual interreligious Te Deum service at the Luxembourg Cathedral, saw the women of the family all wear new hats.
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa led her family in a grey straw design with ‘slice’ raised brim. The underside of the raised brim is moulded in a gentle stepped shape, the only embellishment on this very sleek design. With Maria Teresa’s streamlined dress and coat, the hat topped an elegantly restrained ensemble. I very much like the shape of this hat on Maria Teresa as it gives her some height, but I would have liked to see a pop of colour somewhere. Anywhere.
Designer: looks like Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: this hat is new
The Hereditary Grand Duchess followed her mother-in-law’s monochromatic lead in a pale blue lace dress and straw headpiece. The headpiece looks to be made of a similar blended abaca and silk fibre as the famous hat worn by Queen Mathilde at her inauguration as does the shape, with a ruched circlet around the head and pleated fan at the side. The big change here is the use of silver studs which I’m not sure were necessary.
While familiar, this design stands on its own as a beautiful piece that Princess Stèphanie wears well. I particularly like the textural contrast between the striped straw headpiece and the lace of Stèphanie’s Valentino dress. Here is an instance where monochrome pieces work perfectly together.
Designer: unknown. It is not a Fabienne Delvigne design
Previously Worn: this hat is new
We don’t often see the Grand Duchess or Hereditary Grand Duchess wear hats and I think these two hats are among their best. I turn it over to you, dear readers- what do you think of these two new designs?
Jump over to this post to see the remaining hats worn by the Grand Ducal ladies.
Photos from The Catholic Church of Luxembourg
Royal Hats 
I’m not sure I love the molded bit under M-T’s brim and as I said earlier this color does not do anything for her. I agree that a bit of color in some trim would have added something to this hat. Stephanie looks like she wore the fancy napkin from the luncheon table! I wonder how it would look if it were turned so the fans were at the back and it was tilted more towards the back of the head?
I agree with what Buffy says: June 28, 2016 at 7:23 am. I don’t like either hat.
GD Maria Teresa’s hat needed a ribbon or something around the crown. It’s great otherwise. I didn’t like HGD Stephanie’s hat at first but it’s grown on me and now I find the contrasts wonderful. She also wore a navy flower or something for the traditional visit to Esch-sur-Alzette. Wort has another photo from the back.
Embed from Getty Images
I could almost like these hats. The colors, materials, part of the shapes are nice. I like an upturned brim on GDM, but agree that the tall dome looks helmet like without a hatband or something else to relieve it’s starkness. On Stephanie I like the pleating and the fan shape but not in their present arrangement.
MT looks amazing. Her hat is perfect.
Stephanie on the other hand love her dress but her hat looks like a paper seashell. Not good.
Maria Theresa’s hat is elegant, but a bit stark with the whole outfit.
I like Stephanie’s hat more seeing more of it than my first impression from the side. I’d say I’m a pretty firm opponent of open-topped hats, but this one is more attractive than most. However, I do think something about the angle Stephanie is wearing it is off. Having the front completely straight across the forehead really does convey that bandage impression. Still, a proper hat (despite the open top) and an interesting one, so to be commended!
Stepahnie’s headband is probably not bad, but why on earth is she wearing it this way? She often wears nice things but is not really lucky in the way she wears them;
Princess Stephanie’s hat looks too much like a bandage from the one side, althought it’s quite lovely from the other side, and I agree about the textural contrasts working well together.
The Grand Duchess looks amazingly elegant and sophisticated, and tbey’re holding hands again. 💕
Absolutely love the architectural simplicity of the Grand Duchess’ hat. Very Gehry and perfection. Only one word for Stephanie, okay two -dumpy frumpy.
MT’s hat looks like a helmet with a bent brim. Horrid.
Steph’s hat is OK. More like a 1920s headband than a bandage.
MT always brings out the elegance, and she still looks So youthful! Love the hats colour, and the upturned brim a la Maxima. However that hat looks so much better from the front, than the non upturned side! Bring in a bright colour, pink, purple, a blue even, perhaps by wrapping ribbon round the crown of your hat, and the same colour in your clutch…
Stephanie, what is going on – you’ve wrapped a swath of material round your head, ironed in some folds and have used some silver toned drawing pins to hold it together, secure it on with bobby pins, et volia, a headpiece. Is it the same Valentino dress that she is wearing which Queen Silvia wore to Leonores christening?
The GD’s hat is quite lovely. That coat however is awful, it looks like a bathrobe and I do not think it is terribly flattering on a shorter woman with a fuller figure.
The HDG’s hat is a style I just think is awful. It looks to me like an upscale wound dressing, as the HDG could not appear at today’s events in normal wound dressing of the standard hospital issue white..
Upscale wound dressing…..great description. Terrible. At least the studs add something, but the whole thing should be tilted higher and back, not so low on the forehead. That way we wouldn’t automatically notice that is is a donut design.
Agree with Thomas/Tomas regarding the Grand Duchess’s hat–and the coat: A tie fastening at the least flattering point possible! I like the monochrome, given this particularly lovely shade. And, on the whole, I also like the Hereditary GD’s hat: It’s rather like a topless toque. Possibly it would look better worn further back on the head, and the silver studs are definitely undesirable.
Maria Teresa looks beautiful, and this hat shape is so flattering for her, but where is the trim for this hat? Seems a bit stark without even some sort of hatband. I do wish there was a bit of contrasting color somewhere (I’d even take black) just to help offset all the dove grey in her ensemble.
I’m surprising myself by actually somewhat liking Stephanie’s headpiece; I think the fans sticking up help to give it more dimension and look less like a bandage wrapped around her head. Again, I don’t mind the monochrome, but a little contrast would again be a great improvement.
A great hat on Princess Stephanie – I wonder if the studs are a nod to the Valentino Rockstud shoe range. Would have been divine if she had worn those shoes !
Both ladies look wonderful. I think HatQueen is right about about the height for Maria Teresa. I wonder whether Stephanie’s beautiful headpiece could be worn further back.
The GD Maria Teresa looks fabulous –again. I do not like the crownless hat at all.
Both hats are winners! They are slightly different than the norm in an elegant, understated way perfect for church. I, too, think MT could have added some color with her clutch or shoes. Maybe next time she wears this outfit. I like MT’ s because it looks like an old-fashioned cloche hat (in my UN-hat-educated eyes) with a modern twist. Stephanies is the first crownless hat I have really liked. The studs are an unusual embellishment, certainly a modern touch. They don’t bother me and it would not bother me if they were not there either. I do have to say, Janae, that I still think Stephanies best look was her wedding look–top to bottom!
Stephanie’s hat reminds me of something worn during the French Revolution — I do really like MT’s hat,despite all the monochrome palette.
GORGEOUS. Two of the best hats MT and Steph have worn. Both should be in the top for this month. If MT had a bright shoe and purse it would be perfect but she looks great as is.
Stephanie looks STUNNING. Her dress is gorgeous and the hat looks fab on her. I think this is the best she has ever looked.
Yes. I agree.
I really like both of these hats particularly the one the Hereditary Grand Duchess is wearing. I thought maybe those were hatpins instead of studs but they are in an odd place. And I see a few bobbie pins (sp?) side bottom too. I am so happy to see something a bit different. The hues are gorgeous on both. Those smiles light up the outing too. Thank you HQ.