On this beautiful sunny day, she decided to visit the champions of her kingdom. On July 31, 2024, in the Olympic Village, set up in Saint-Denis, Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, meet the athletes competing for Great Britain at Team GB House. Accreditation around their necks, the couple chats with volunteers and athletes including gymnasts Georgia-Mae Fenton, Alice Kinsella and Max Whitlock and diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix who, at 19, has just won bronze in the synchronised 10m high dive with Lois Toulson.
But what catches the most attention is the look. sportswear of the Princess Royal. In addition to her usual Adidas sunglasses that she has not taken off for two decades, the sister of King Charles III wore navy blue pants, a light blue t-shirt and black sneakers, also from the German equipment manufacturer, sponsor of the Great Britain team. Not forgetting a Team GB bucket hat, matching her top, which she even keeps inside. It is the latter that hits the mark with Internet users. “I don’t know anyone who can wear a bucket hat better than Princess Anne,” enthuses one user of X (ex Twitter) while others exclaim: “I need this bucket hat!”, “It’s fabulous!”
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The day before, the former Olympian already wore this new favorite accessory during a meeting with archers Alex Wise and Penny Healey. As the Guardianthe 19-year-old athlete found his calling while watching the film Rebel released in 2012, the year of the Games… in London. Despite the elimination of the British women’s team, the young woman will face, on August 1, in the 32nd finals the South Korean Jeon Hun-young in individual archery. Without a doubt, Princess Anne and her husband Timothy knew how to find the right words to encourage Penny Healey and wish her good luck for the rest of her Olympic adventure. The same day, Anne and her bob are seen in the stands of the Yves-du-Manoir stadium, in Colombes, during the field hockey group match between the British and the Dutch.
It was also one of their compatriots who also succumbed to the bucket hat back in fashion in recent years after having long been considered unfashionable. On July 28, surrounded by her husband, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, and their elders, Crown Princess Amalia and Princess Alexia, Queen Maxima wore an orange TeamNL bucket hat during the women’s cross-country event in Élancourt. Ideal for protecting yourself from the sun on these hot summer days, this headgear is also easy to carry, slipping easily into a pocket or bag.
Queen Maxima (and her bob) and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands attend the cross-country event in Élancourt, July 28, 2024. © Robin Utrecht/ABACAPRESS.COM
Two days later, Maxima was spotted again in the stands of the Vaires-sur-Marne water sports stadium where the rowing events were taking place. Later in the day, the couple and their daughters had a meeting at the Arena Paris Sud, in the 15th arrondissement of the capital, for the handball match between their kingdom and Spain. In a highly charged atmosphere, the queen quickly removed her bob and twirled it in the air. Proof that this accessory has multiple uses!
Alexia, Maxima, Amalia and Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands during the handball match between the Netherlands and Spain on July 30, 2024, at Arena Paris Sud. © Zabulon Laurent/ABACA
For his part, Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg seems to have gone for a stroll in one of the official Paris 2024 boutiques, as evidenced by the photo taken on July 28 and published by the Grand Ducal Court on its Instagram account. On the Paris Olympiad websiteseveral models of bobs are available, both for adults and children. White – like that of the youngest of the Grand Duke Henri -, black, with or without inscription, there is something for everyone.
Although he opted for a red cap during his stay in the French capital, Prince Albert of Monaco did not wait for the Games to publicly show off a bucket hat. Indeed, on July 21, 2024, before the start of the final stage of the Tour de France, an individual time trial linking the Rocher to Nice, the sovereign received as a gift an E-Solex from the Cochonou brand, one of the official sponsors of the Grande Boucle. “Instead of wearing a helmet, can we just wear the Cochonou bucket hat when we ride with it?” Prince Albert then asked, provoking laughter from the audience. Without further ado, his wife, Princess Charlene, and he retrieved the highly prized goodie of the Tour publicity caravan. His wife does not hesitate for a second to put her present on his head, giving rise to a photo that is already a collector’s item. One of the 100,000 distributed each year on the Grande Boucle and which spectators fight over on the side of the road.
Princess Charlène putting the Cochonou bucket hat on Prince Albert’s head. The couple has been given several of these most famous and wanted bucket hats. The Prince received also an E-Solex Cochonou. He joked : “Can I put the bucket hat instead of a helmet ?” @PointDeVueMag pic.twitter.com/PFwcJ7q0Oq
— Marion (@marion_prudhm) July 21, 2024
Between this emblematic bob and the Monegasque sovereign, the story is not new. As our colleagues from South West“in 2009, during the Grand Départ of the Tour in Monaco, wasn’t Stéphane Domecq (head of Live Meetings, he coordinates the brand on the Grande Boucle, editor’s note), surprised to be discreetly contacted by an official of the Principality? ‘His Serene Highness wishes to know if it would be possible to have several bobsleighs…’ Cochonou who recants”.
Whether it’s food groups, sporting events or luxury brands, all have brought this accessory back into fashion. Prada, Hermès, Dior, the big houses have even made it a star of the catwalks. In cotton, crochet, reversible, patterned, plain… it comes in an infinite variety, its price varying from around ten to several hundred euros. After actresses, models and influencers, crowned heads are thus showing their taste for this trend. A must-have that is good to have in your wardrobe. Will Kate, Mary or Letizia let themselves be seduced in turn? The future will tell.
