bringing you the very best in ridiculous royal hats
I feel like lately Sophie's been veering wildly between hats that are a little on the young side and hats that are way over on the matronly side ... and this looks like the latter to me. It's just a little too classic, maybe?
PHOTO CREDITS: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Ahh, the rare silver-plated Cake Hat, spotted in the wilds of parliament. No flash photography, please, we don't want to startle it.
Actually, I'm starting to wonder if this is just what the Dutch crown looks like...
(Also, thanks to lovely reader Pikkewyn, enjoy this awesome slideshow of Cake's mad parliament hattery over the years...)
PHOTO CREDITS: REUTERS/Toussaint Kluiters/United Photos
Lady Sarah's rocking the same hat look she's been wearing for a while now, but I can't blame her, really -- she seems like a no-nonsense kind of Windsor, and when a hat works, well, it works. (But ... one more wearing of a little saucer like this, and I may have to declare a moritorium, black-beret-style!)
As for Autumn, who's hiding behind her hubs in this pic -- from what I can see, I like the brim/hate the round crown. Eh.
PHOTO CREDITS: Dylan Martinez - WPA Pool/Getty Images
I refuse to believe that Maria Teresa's hat isn't a gift-wrapping ribbon from an "Everything's a Dollar!" store.
Also, LOL -- royal kisses for Carl Gustaf! 
PHOTO CREDITS: REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
Belgian lampshade numero dos! But at least Claire can use the immense shade provided by her hat to hide her blushes, because look what her hubs did on the red carpet:
Oopsie-daisies! Ye Olde Royal Red Carpet Banana Peel Trick again, clearly...
PHOTO CREDITS: PPE
Let's kick off this year's Trooping festivities with a look at the topper on the Big Cheese herself, shall we? Lil brought out the original Sam the Eagle for today -- though I generally like a little more color on the Queen on a day like today, I'm going to take this choice as a personal shout-out to America, LOL!
PHOTO CREDITS: Oli Scarff/Getty Images
You guys, I think this might seriously be the best MT has ever looked. Good proportions on the hat and the outfit, overall monochrome color, dramatic tilt of the hat's brim ... fabulous!
PHOTO CREDITS: Ragnar Singsaas/Getty Images
We've got a rather impressive glued-to-the-head fascinator here on Marie-Chantal of Greece -- wacky and over-the-top, but that seems par for the course with the ultra-glam MC.
Jaunty silver-black flying saucer hat + GIANT stick-on christmas present bow = Zara Phillips.
Now, Bea, really -- is it fair for you to be side-eyeing your sister's hat that way? Pot, kettle, all that.
