Welcome to a new feature on the blog -- Hatty Birthdays, celebrating some of our favorite hatters on their big day.  Let me know what you think!

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Happy birthday to the big kahuna of Belgian hatters, Queen Paola!  Here she is wearing a rather sensible chapeau during this year's National Day celebrations, but she's definitely had a few seriously mad hattery moments of her own!

Prince Albert's Wedding (2011)
Belgian National Day (2010)
Church of Our Lady of Laeken (2010)
The Prince of Orange's Wedding (2002)

Hope you have a wonderful day, Your Maj!

PHOTO CREDITS: REUTERS/Jan Van De Vel

Another tiara that I was a little disappointed to see tonight, honestly -- Paola's pulled out Queen Elisabeth's Diamond Bandeau Tiara yet again, when I'd hoped maybe we'd finally see the Nine Provinces Tiara.  That tiara can only be worn by the Belgian queen, but I think it can be taken out of the country.  Maybe next time, Your Maj?

PHOTO CREDITS: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

This is perhaps the drabbest color ever worn to a wedding, I'm afraid.  Also -- what happened to the front of the hat?  Did Laurent run over it again with the car?  Tsk, tsk!

PHOTO CREDITS: Danny Martindale/Getty Images

Here's another Catholic queen who is allowed the privilège du blanc -- Paola's wearing the same veil she chose for her last visit to the Vatican, actually.  This one's a little too bridal for my taste, with the lacy edging, but clearly King Albert approves!

PHOTO CREDITS: AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia

I have to say, having looked back on previous Paola hattery moments here at the blog, I think the chapeau she's chosen for this year's memorial mass is perhaps the best one we've seen her in yet!  Love the deconstructed softness of the beret.

Really lovely!

(Also, I've officially added King Albert to my list of "royals I'd have a beer with."  If the man can still laugh like that after months of stressful government problems, he's more than welcome to join the party!)

Thanks to all of the lovely readers who sent in photos and information about this event!

PHOTO CREDITS: REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

All right, hatters, you know what time it is!  Drumroll, please!

That's right -- slap on your black-tie attire, pour yourself a glass o'champers, and settle in for the Mad Hattery Awards of 2010!  (No, seriously, hurry up -- King CG is clearly waiting on you!)

We've moved the festivities inland from last year's cruise-ship do, but that just means more room for all of us and the maddest hatters of the year!  So, without further adieu, let's get the party started!

And the winners are...

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Yeah, Paola, I'm confused, too.  You're wearing -- a lopsided, lacy ring of Saturn?

Yep, definitely a lacy ring of Saturn made of plastic that she left in the car on the hottest day of the year and melted.  (Wow.  Is that the weirdest hattery description I've ever done or what?)

Photo Credits: 7s7 Belgique

HRH The Crown Princess of Sweden and Mr. Daniel Westling
June 19, 2010

Well, kids, yesterday we partied hardy in the wedding live posts, and today we get to have a tiara fiesta!  I've compiled all of the tiara entries for the royal guests at Crown Princess Victoria's wedding to Daniel Westling (now Prince Daniel) in this entry.

The wedding, of course, took place in Stockholm yesterday.  The couple has been together since 2002, when Daniel became Victoria's personal trainer.  Love blossomed, and on their wedding day, Daniel became royal.  During their balcony appearance, Victoria thanked the people of Sweden for giving her a prince.

And now, we'll all just have to wait to see how long it takes before the pitter-patter of little royal feet are heard in Haga Palace!

Wedding Hatters

Paola wore one of her go-to tiaras for the wedding; this is Queen Elisabeth's Diamond Bandeau Tiara, which was also worn by Princess Mathilde at her wedding to Paola's son, Prince Philippe.  I like the tiara, but something about Queen P's overall look is a little almost casual to me.  Maybe it's the hair?  Or the head-to-toe beige?  See more below...

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HRH The Prince of Asturias and Miss Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano
May 22, 2004

Only a week after Crown Prince Frederik married Mary Donaldson in Denmark, Prince Felipe of Spain tied the knot with journalist Letizia Ortiz in Madrid.  Theirs was the first wedding of a member of the Spanish royal family to take place in Madrid since the wedding of King Alfonso XIII and Princess Ena of Battenberg in 1906.  That wedding was marred by an assassination attempt on the royal couple and the tragic deaths of several bystanders -- this one, thankfully, went more smoothly, although it was a cloudy, rainy day in the Spanish capital.

There were a few controversies, however, about Felipe's choice of bride.  Letizia, a journalist who covered the September 11th attacks in New York and the Iraq War, will be the first commoner to be queen of Spain.  She also had previously been briefly married and divorced.  However, because her first wedding was a civil rather than religious one, the Catholic Church did not recognize it, and she was free to marry Felipe.

Felipe and Letizia have become quite a working team since their wedding, frequently appearing together on royal engagements.  They have also had two daughters, Infanta Leonor (born in 2005) and Infanta Sofia (born in 2007).  Leonor is expected to become queen of Spain in her own right one day -- that is, if her parents don't provide her with a baby brother!

Wedding Hatters