Lil and her firstborn are certainly having quite the tee-hee at Braemar, aren’t they?  I only wish I were quite so enthusiastic about her hat.

I think all these years of hatting about have just made me miserably picky when it comes to chapeaux, but something about the combo of the taupe and the light ivory just isn’t doing it for me.  Thoughts?

(Additionally — HM, Phil, and Charlie get fancy wicker chairs, but Anne gets a foldy deal?  Man, it’s tough being the second born!)

PHOTO CREDITS: REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

It’s a sister act in Denmark today!  Princess Benedikte and Queen Anne-Marie teamed up to reopen the Queen Anne-Marie Center for the Elderly, a nursing facility in Copenhagen.  I love seeing them together!

So: hats!  I love the shape of Anne-Marie’s topper, but I don’t understand the black-and-white hat band (it’s almost zebra print, really) with the plaid jacket.  Our dear Ben’s got on a hat very similar to a fabulous one that CP Mary wore on last year’s state visit to Vietnam — but I don’t really love it as is.  Maybe in a deeper color (a plum/magenta like the suit?) and without the bow?

Good hats or not, it’s really nice to see Anne-Marie back in her birth country.  I’ve often wondered: why didn’t the Greeks relocate to Denmark after they were forced into exile?  Constantine is of Danish descent just like his wife.  Thoughts?

PHOTO CREDITS: Colourpress/Profimedia

One more new hatter for today: this is the new Duchess of Parma, née Annemarie Gualthérie van Weezel.  Annemarie married Prince Carlos Javier (pictured above), the elder son of Princess Irene and Prince Carlos Hugo, in a civil ceremony earlier this summer.  They were due to have a religious ceremony in France — but it was scheduled, rather ironically, for today, August 28.  They postponed the wedding when they realized that Carlos Hugo’s illness had gotten serious, and they haven’t yet announced a new date for the religious ceremony – but I think they probably deserve a little bit of time to get things together again, don’t you?

Regardless, Annemarie looks to be fitting in nicely to her new royal role here.  Wonder if she’ll continue with her journalism career now that her husband is the head of the House of Bourbon-Parma?

PHOTO CREDITS: PPE

Another new princess on the docket today: this is Princess Margarita of Bourbon-Parma, Countess of Colorno; she’s the elder daughter of Carlos Hugo and Irene (and twin sister of Prince Jaime).  Margarita’s been sort of a complicated figure in the Dutch royal family; in a case that sort of echoed her parents’ marriage, Margarita’s first husband was not a favorite of the royal family, and a series of scandals during their short-lived marriage led to the family’s distancing themselves from Margarita for a time (she didn’t get to come to Alex and Máx’s wedding, etc.).

But, on the bright side, Margarita divorced husband number one, and since her marriage to hubs number two (Tjalling ten Cate, pictured with her above), relations with the family have improved.

Margarita’s veil is also lovely; here’s a better look at the lace:

PHOTO CREDITS: PPE

Carlos Hugo’s funeral also gives us the chance to meet his children with Princess Irene.  This is Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Parma, Marchioness of Sala, the youngest of Irene and Carlos Hugo’s four children.  Carolina was only six when her parents divorced; she grew up in The Netherlands with her mother’s family, and now she works for the United Nations.

Love how she’s positioned the veil with her hair here — very lovely.

PHOTO CREDITS: PPE

They’re sad occasions all around, but funerals do often bring us one good thing: new princesses.  This is Princess Anita (on the right, standing beside her husband, Prince Pieter-Christiaan), another of Princess Margriet’s daughters-in-law.  Apparently she got the headband memo for today — that’s three Dutch princesses so far sporting them!

PHOTO CREDITS: PPE

Princess Margriet’s lovely daughter-in-law, Princess Aimée, repeated the same lovely little fascinator headband for today’s funeral that she wore for the Apeldoorn memorial service in May.  Still an excellent choice — and a great dress, too!

PHOTO CREDITS: PPE

Today was the funeral service for Prince Carlos Hugo of Bourbon-Parma, the Duke of Parma and Piacenza and a claimant of the Spanish throne.  Notably, he was also the former husband of Princess Irene of The Netherlands, younger sister of Queen Beatrix — and the Dutch royals were all out in force for the service.

Except Cake — she sent along her deputies, Alex and Máx.  Love Máxima’s delicate veil — she’s still a Catholic despite marrying into a Protestant royal family, so she surely has the 411 on headcoverings for funeral masses.

The lace is just gorgeous:

Very regal, Máx … between this and the tiara inventiveness, she’s got the makings of a fabulous queen consort!

PHOTO CREDITS: PPE

Either the Yorks forgot they were going to Fergie’s little sister’s wedding and not a fancy dress party, or they’re actually planning on starting some sort of Girls Aloud-style girl group:

Let’s see here … Bea’s wearing her Trooping the Colour ’10 plant sprouter; Eugenie’s sporting some foliage in her favorite color, hot pink; and Sarah’s wearing (among other things) a fascinator that looks suspiciously like the one Bea wore to Charles and Camilla’s wedding.

Just … may I have a word, Sarah?  You are fifty years old.  That’s 50, not 20 or 30 or even 40.  You look like you’re trying to be 23 again, and it’s just no good.  Now, I know you’ve had issues with decision making in the past, but for the love of God, get something age appropriate and stop sneaking into your daughter’s closets!  It just makes you look older and sadder, not younger and more vibrant.  Say it with me: elegant and chic!

I mean, even Eugenie and Beatrice look terrified in this picture.  I’m going to assume it’s because someone just popped up a mirror.  Oy vey.

PHOTO CREDITS: Craig Hibbert/Mail Online

Mads was looking lovely as usual at the Bernadotte celebrations — if tiaras aren’t in order, a diamond headband is the next best thing!

(And looking closely at this … it almost looks like the diamond buttons from one of the button tiaras here, doesn’t it?  I believe they are removable — wouldn’t that be something?  Probably not … but if so, I like them far better on Madeleine in this form!)

Also — someone showed up with far less hair gel than last time, so we may be slowly reconciling:

Oh, CP.  Snake-wielding girlfriend or not, I just can’t quit you!

PHOTO CREDITS: PPE