How Princess Diana’s Hats Were a Secret Window into Her Life
Updated: Sep. 24, 2018Princess Diana was a true style-setter, so much so that many of her iconic looks were copied during her lifetime and continue to be fashion inspirations two decades after her tragic death at age 36. Here, we focus on her hats and other headwear.
Floppy black hat
In 1971, long before she held the title of “Princess Diana,” a pre-teen Diana Spencer looked fashionable in a floppy-brimmed beachy hat. “The future Princess Diana was ‘boho chic’ way before it was all the rage,” points out Stephanie Bell of Fancy Derby Hats. She suggests pairing your floppy black hat with jeans, a flowing top with bell sleeves, and suede bootie.
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White lace-trimmed fascinator
Five weeks before her marriage to Prince Charles, Lady Diana Spencer wore a lace-trimmed white pillbox fascinator to the Royal Ascot in Berkshire on June 16, 1981. Turns out lace is a white-hot trend for women today, especially when it comes to fascinators, we learned from Bell, who styles many women who are looking for precisely that look for events, including the Kentucky Derby. “Fascinators have become extremely popular due to coverage of royal family weddings and special events. They can be worn year-round without the full commitment of wearing a hat and messing up your hair.”
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Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara
The Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara was so heavy it hurt Princess Diana’s head, which is why she didn’t wear it at her wedding. But it became one of her favourite tiaras, and she was photographed in it many times. After Diana and Charles divorced, this tiara was returned to the Queen. It was not worn publicly again until 2015 when Kate Middleton wore it at a diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace.
Baby blue lightly-veiled pillbox fascinator
“Princess Diana was known to flash a demure smile and a shy gaze beneath her veil,” Bell tells Reader’s Digest. During both of her pregnancies (1982 and 1984), Princess Diana was seen wearing small, lightly veiled fascinators. “Veils today add a flirty twist by adding a bit of mystery and style,” she adds.
Jeweled headband/choker
“The mid-1980s was a very popular time for headbands,” Bell recalls. It started with the aerobic fitness craze, but in 1985, Princess Diana wore a diamond-and-emerald choker—a gift from the Queen—as a headband, taking headbands to a more glamorous level. Even today, “Celebrities are loving these headbands to add to their messy, tousled hair updos on the red carpet,” adds stylist Christina Fortier. “These allow you to have as messy of hair as you like because that sparkle makes it all look and feel intentional.”
Simple blue pillbox fascinator
In the spring of 1986, Princess Diana and Prince Charles headed to Canada to celebrate Canada Day. Photographs of Princess Diana in the simple, blue pillbox-style fascinator she wore with a houndstooth-print dress at a reception at Swy-A-Lane Park in Nanaimo, British Columbia on May 1 were reproduced in newspapers and magazines all over the world, cementing this as of Diana’s most iconic looks. It also happens to recall the “Jackie Kennedy look.” “All that’s missing are large sunglasses,” Lauren Malacsina, a fashion stylist/designer based in Miami, tells Reader’s Digest. “And it’s still a classic look.”
Mad Hatter-style hat
Princess Diana wore a similar hat at the VJ Day Commemoration in 1995, which she attended with Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry. “This style hat was one of those that really showcases the time period,” explains Malacsina. “It’s a conservative style that can be modernized by pairing it with wide leg pants and a simple blouse.”
Cathedral length bridal veil
Princess Diana’s wedding gown had a 25-foot train, but that was nothing compared to her 153-yard tulle veil, which was connected to her tiara (the Spencer Family Tiara). “This happens to be one of the most iconic fashion pieces in all fashion history,” says Malacsina. “The handmade lace is exquisitely done and its compliments her wedding dress.” In terms of trying out the look, yourself, Afa Ah Loo, a stylist with Jane.com, points out that while a super-long cathedral length veil is a showstopper all on its own, “a full-length ball gown with layers of tulle and hand beading might add even more drama.”
Pale, broad-brimmed, be-ribboned fascinator
This pale, broad-brimmed, be-ribboned fascinator is a lot like the one Princess Diana wore when she attended the wedding of the Duke of Hussey’s daughter in May 1989 in Bath, England with Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry. It’s a classic “Di look,” Malacsina says, “and it’s one of my personal favourites, bringing to mind Marlene Dietrich and Lauren Bacall in a classic pantsuit eluding power.” It’s still a timely style that can be paired just as easily with a dress or a pair of wide-leg pants and a lace blouse.
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Embroidered dupatta
From September of 1995 until July of 1997, Princess Diana was involved in a romantic relationship with Hasnat Khan, a Pakistani heart surgeon. She reportedly adored him and also embraced his culture. Many believed she would have left the United Kingdom to join him there if the relationship had not ended. This embroidered chiffon scarf is called a “dupatta” and is a traditional South Asian head covering like the one Diana wore in Pakistan.
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