Princess Beatrice’s royal wedding hat that refused to be forgotten

Princess Beatrice of York turns 37 today, and while she has grown into her royal role with grace, discretion and a passion for causes ranging from dyslexia awareness to children’s welfare, there is one fashion moment from her past that still captures the public imagination more than a decade on.

It was April 29, 2011 – the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. As the bride stepped out in a lace McQueen gown, global headlines were expected to follow. But in a twist only a royal wedding could deliver, it was a hat that unexpectedly stole some of the spotlight.

Described variously as a “pretzel,” a “lavatory seat,” and (less kindly) “an optical illusion from which one could never return,” the now-iconic headpiece was the work of Philip Treacy, the Irish-born milliner whose hats have long graced royal heads with an air of theatrical aplomb.

In a 2018 interview on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Treacy reflected on the extraordinary public reaction to the piece. “There was a moment where I thought: ‘My God, I’m going to have my head on a spike outside the Tower of London,’” he told presenter Kirsty Young. “But it was a very modern hat. And modernity is always unusual things.”

Far from retreating in the face of the controversy, Beatrice took the attention in stride. She later auctioned the hat on eBay, where it raised more than £80,000 for Unicef and Children in Crisis – a gesture widely praised at the time.

Treacy, who grew up in County Galway and has long been the favoured milliner of the royal family, has spoken of his admiration for the royals’ enduring commitment to British craftsmanship. “The patronage of the Royal Family keeps hats alive,” he told Desert Island Discs. He described Royal Ascot as “Christmas” for milliners – a time of immense demand and high visibility for the trade.

Indeed, Treacy’s relationship with the House of Windsor spans decades. He designed the gold feathered headpiece worn by the Duchess of Cornwall (now Queen Camilla) at her wedding blessing in 2005, as well as hats for the Duchess of Sussex at her first Christmas at Sandringham and her debut at Royal Ascot. Several senior royal women wore Treacy creations to the 2011 royal wedding.

Yet despite the array of notable commissions, it is Beatrice’s so-called “pretzel hat” – a moment of bold design and cultural impact – that remains one of the most discussed royal fashion statements of the 21st century.

As Princess Beatrice celebrates her 37th birthday today, the hat she wore in her early twenties still resonates: a symbol of individuality, modern design, and the unpredictable power of a royal accessory to capture the world’s attention.