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.

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.

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!

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!

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!)

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!

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?

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.

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?

It's like clockwork: every year, March comes around, Cheltenham pops up on the calendar, and mad hatters can anticipate an appearance from our favorite non-princess princess, Zara Phillips. And while I think fedora hats on the whole are a little costume-y, I like this one on Zara.

...especially when you compare it with the only hat competition in this photo -- that frightening Yankees sock cap in the background. Yikes!