No, no, this isn't a photo of two Russian grannies hanging out in Siberia in January -- it's the Queen and Princess Anne, braving the freezing temps in England to kick off this year's Diamond Jubilee festivities by doing one of my favorite royal activities:

A royal tree planting!  Hooray!

The queen's jubilee year formally begins on Monday, the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne.  We'll be celebrating with the royals all year here at MH, too -- I've got a series of Jubilee Hattery Flashbacks queued up, and we'll be playing along as the royals go hither and thither to various events across the Commonwealth.  Get excited, hatters!

PHOTO CREDITS: ARTHUR EDWARDS/AFP/Getty Images

Queen Cake's hat at this visit to the Dutch Council of State is wacky, but it's repeat wacky.  The real story is the topper behind her...

Poor Máx looks a little like she's just won the Run for the Roses...

PHOTO CREDITS: PPE

It's a mini-Saturn hat for Daisy's big day -- and in royal purple, so no one will be confused about who the anniversary girl is.  On anyone else, I'd be saying some truly terrible things about this, I think, but since it's the Great Dane herself -- eh, it's really not that bad!

PHOTO CREDITS: Chris Jackson/WireImage

It's back-of-the-head hat time with Mette-Marit again ... I'm really starting to dislike these, probably mostly because she wears them so often.  Time for a new trend?

PHOTO CREDITS: Chris Jackson/WireImage

It's not a pillbox!  Hip, hip, hooray!  Liking the chocolate brown/purple combo, too.

PHOTO CREDITS: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Looks like we've got a fairly standard headband/fascinator here from Alexandra -- but that kind of low-key hattery does seem to be her style.  Her husband is awfully surprised to see us, though, isn't he?  Hola, Jefferson!

PHOTO CREDITS: msn.dk

I think it's sort of hilarious that Cake brought along two purple hats in relatively similar sizes and shapes on this trip.  (This one, I think, is clearly the superior of the two.)  Also hilarious is that she's matched her eyeshadow to this one.  Your Maj, you are simply amazing.

PHOTO CREDITS: PPE

Typical lavender cake-hat-on-a-plate from Queen Bea at the second event of the day, a meeting with the UAE's president and crown prince.  At first, I thought this was an open-topped cake hat (the horror! the horror!), but that's just Máxima's noggin back there.  Trix's bouffant is tall, but it isn't that tall!

PHOTO CREDITS: PPE

I love the outfit Máx chose to visit the mosque -- so often royals choose typical Western clothing to visit Islamic holy sites, topping them with a scarf that almost seems like an afterthought.  But this outfit is clearly designed just for this event, and, IMO, it works without feeling like a costume:

Like the color variations and the patterns on the scarf, too -- this is respectful Máx, but it's still Máx!  Thumbs up from me!

PHOTO CREDITS: PPE

Dashing these off before I go enjoy my own Christmas lunch -- Merry Christmas, hatters!  And I do believe that Lil has brought you a brand-new topper for the holidays.  Not my favorite -- too tall, too round, too bowler-esque.  How about the rest of you?

PHOTO CREDITS: Chris Jackson/Getty Images