How To Wear A Chic Hat For Summer 2026, According To The Royals

The royals are serving up endless inspiration for summer sun hats. While more commonly known for their formal headwear — think of those outlandishly impractical but very fun fascinators — the royal women also appreciate the style and practicality of a good quality sun hat. After all, a wide-brim straw hat adds a layer of texture and interest to an outfit, but it also offers necessary shade and sun protection, so sourcing something stylish enough that you'll want to wear throughout the summer is key. 

Kate Middleton, a fail-proof style icon, is a great source for summer outfit ideas. Kate is the ultimate style inspo for wearing shorts over 40, perfect encouragement for warm-weather outfits. On top of that, Kate's Wimbledon outfits over the years showcase the princess wearing her favorite summer hat over and over again. Her go-to look is a wide, floppy straw hat with a black ribbon. 

Other royals also love a more casual hat. Meghan Markle has proven to be another source of inspiration for hat choices. Meghan's undergone a stunning style transformation since her marriage to Prince Harry, and with that has come a wonderful sense of fashion. As such, her summer hat choices have proven steal-worthy. Other royals, too, step out in their cutest summer hats, offering great ideas for sun protection and styling alike. 

Perhaps no royal woman is known for statement hats quite like Meghan Markle. While in Cartagena, Colombia, in August 2024, she wore the Cuyana Wide Brim Ecuador hat with a statement black ribbon. Meghan showed how to style it with a simple, white tank top and aviator sunglasses. 

On her As Ever Instagram page, Meghan wore an oversized straw hat with a pared-down, white button-down shirt and jeans, proving that her SoCal charm is all about keeping things simple. To take a style note from Meghan, just keep the look basic and let the hat be the focal point. 

Princess Beatrice wore an oat colored, wide-brimmed hat on the first day at Royal Ascot in June 2011. Her simple, effortless approach is worth studying. Beatrice styled her hair with her hat in mind. She pulled the face-framing pieces away, securing them towards the back of her head. This was smart because it kept her hair from looking too long and heavy around her face under such a show-stealing hat.

On hot summer days, sometimes the idea of wearing hair down long is horrifying. This is where Princess Eugenie's styling at Royal Ascot in June 2025 was so compelling. Eugenie styled her hair in a sleek, low ponytail near the nape of her neck to keep her hair away from her face. The positioning of her ponytail worked well with her hat placement. On top of that, Eugenie kept her look neutral and minimal with her statement saucer hat and simple, gold earrings.

Not every summer hat needs to be beige. Sarah Ferguson attended Royal Ascot in June 2025 with her daughter, Princess Eugenie, with a black, wide-brimmed hat with a decorative pearl pin. Ferguson gave a great example of opting for a bolder choice in the summer weather, styling the black hat with a charming, black-and-white polka dot dress. She kept her hair tucked behind her ears to keep the hat as the focus. Like her daughter, she kept her earrings simple and understated.

Kate Middleton loves rewearing pieces from her wardrobe, and this includes her beloved LK Bennett Saffron Straw Floppy Sun Hat. She wore the hat at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in 2022 and again in 2025. The floppy hat, adorned with a black ribbon, gave Kate's outfit a carefree, bohemian vibe. It was a great example of how a floppy straw hat can work wonders in adding a dramatic flourish to any summer look. Plus, it offers quality sun protection. 

Princess Anne proves that even the royals can take a day off from the glitz and glam of palace life. When she cheered on her daughter, Zara Tindall, in her dressage show at Gatcombe Park on August 6, 2022, Anne's styling was perfection in how chill it was. Anne wore a tan bucket hat, casually paired with a knit, red vest, and a striped button-down shirt. Of course, Anne paired this with her signature, sporty shades. For a casual day, take a cue from Anne's fashion formula and keep things relaxed and effortless. 

Princess Diana was all about hats. While many of hers were more formal and complex (not exactly easy for chill, summer styling), she did occasionally wear a more toned-down hat. In 1993, when she attended an event in Liverpool, England, Diana matched her blue-and-white straw hat with her suit. Diana famously had hair combs sewn into her hats to make sure they stayed secure at outdoor events. If wind proves to be a deterrent for wearing a hat in the summer, consider this DIY project to make sure hats feel more secure.