A good sun hat is a summer necessity, as Princess Kate knows. The Princess of Wales wore the perfect floppy hat while taking in the 2022 Wimbledon championships, shading her face with a chic straw style by L.K. Bennett. But this summer, the royal-favorite retailer has restocked the sunny day essential—and the timing couldn't be better.
Princess Kate first wore the wide-brimmed, ribbon-trimmed hat to cheer on the men's doubles competition in July 2022. Although Kate, dressed in a cheerful yellow Roksanda dress, didn't wear her floppy style to present the trophy, the then-Duchess of Cambridge smartly protected herself from the sun in the stands. Of course, the Kate Effect ensured the sun hat was a swift sellout, so imagine my delight when I stumbled upon it in the L.K. Bennett pop-up shop at Royal Ascot earlier this month.
As Kate proved with her Wimbledon look, the hat is perfect for a day of royal outings, as I discovered during a very sunny afternoon awaiting the carriage arrivals in Windsor Great Park and on the hottest day of the year at Windsor Castle.
Bonus: the hat is easily packable, something I wouldn't have assumed if the woman at the L.K. Bennett pop-up hadn't folded it up into an adorable Royal Ascot-themed tote. Despite being shoved into my suitcase, the hat emerged unscathed after traveling back to the States, so I can absolutely recommend it for your own summer travels.
As for the Princess of Wales's Wimbledon plans this year, she is expected to make an appearance during the championships, which started Monday, June 30 and run through July 13. Princess Beatrice and Sarah Ferguson kicked off the Wimbledon action on Monday, with the royals dressed in a stripey Sandro skirt set and a colorful green Me+Em floral midi, respectively.
