London, England - John Boyd Royal Milliner

I have been invited to Royal Ascot this year, a famous English racecourse located in Ascot, Berkshire and closely associated with the British Royal Family. I will be off for a day of thoroughbred racing and am lucky enough to be viewing the action from the very exclusive invitation-only Royal Enclosure. Her Majesty the Queen will be in attendance. Ascot is arguably the highlight of the British summer social calendar. 

But everyone knows that the real entertainment is not on the racecourse, its the people watching in the stands. And an important element of this is the ladies' headwear. With a strict dress code in the Royal Enclosure to adhere to (hats are mandatory) I knew that I could only trust my hat choice to one of the oldest and most famous milliners in London: John Boyd Royal Millinery. 

This morning I rushed over to John Boyd's atelier on Beauchamp Place in Knightsbridge. Known worldwide for his creations for Princess Diana and other royals, Mr. Boyd is now in his sixth decade of creating and designing hats for the most discerning customers.

I met with Sarah, one of the milliners on John Boyd's team, and in her very capable hands, we began to try on all sorts of hats to match my dress. (Its always best to bring the outfit you will be wearing to the event to ensure you get the perfect look).

I had an absolute blast trying on many of John Boyd's seriously breathtaking creations. His hats are truly works of art. 

Realizing that I can wear safe and classic for the rest of my life, Sarah had an idea about a true statement hat with elaborate accordion folds that would mimic the pleats in the skirt of my dress and pick up the patches of kelly green:

We agreed that we landed on the perfect hat!

Next I am given lessons on how the hat should sit and how best to put it on when I am dressing at home tomorrow for the day out at Ascot:

It is suggested that my hair is worn up and loosely to the right side to allow the hat to stand out (don't think there will be any issue there!):

Sarah and her team of trained milliners make last minute adjustments and ensure that each headpiece fits perfectly ... 

... and the hat is carefully packed away in a beautiful black and white striped John Boyd hat box:

I cannot say enough about the John Boyd team and how accommodating and professional they all are; they made my Royal Ascot hat shopping a true delight. 

Stunning hat and Royal Enclosure badge in hand ensures that I am all ready for tomorrow!

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