Philip Treacy has spoken candidly about the furore surrounding the bow-shaped hat he designed for Princess Beatrice at the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Catherine, which was widely mocked online as resembling a pretzel or toilet seat.
Despite the ridicule, the hat raised £81,100.01 when it was auctioned for charity.
Mr Treacy said: “I love it. If there was no opinion, it would be pointless. It’s impossible to design something that billions of people agree with.”
Back in 2018, the hat designer quipped about Beatrice’s hat: “There was a moment where I thought I would find myself with my head on a spike outside the Tower of London.”
The designer, who has spent nearly four decades in the industry, remains unapologetic about courting strong reactions.Mr Treacy has been a fixture of British fashion for close to 40 years, building a reputation as the go-to milliner for high-profile occasions and royal events alike.
His relationship with the Royal Family has been central to his career. He has designed hats for the Queen over a quarter of a century, crafting pieces for Royal Ascot, state visits, and even a mantilla for an audience with the Pope.
In 2007, he received an honorary OBE in recognition of his contribution to fashion.
The Queen granted him a royal warrant in 2024, cementing his status as the monarchy’s pre-eminent hat designer.
“I’ve always lived with creative pressure,” Mr Treacy continued to tell the Telegraph. “You never get away from it. Fashion is about ‘next’ so I’ve got to wow every time. It’s hard to deliver wow constantly.”
His contribution to royal weddings has been prolific. Mr Treacy was responsible for 36 hats worn at William and Catherine’s nuptials, and a further 20 at the 2018 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
He also created the two headpieces worn by the Queen for her 2005 marriage to the then-Prince of Wales.
For the 2023 Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, Mr Treacy designed the caps of maintenance for the Coronation crowns, collaborating with Crown Jeweller Mark Appleby over four months.
“It was the most mind-blowing experience to work with these objects that are symbols of a thousand years of history,” he said.
The project brought him into close contact with the Imperial State Crown and its famed Black Prince’s Ruby, a 170-carat red spinel.
Mr Treacy is unequivocal about the debt he owes the monarchy for sustaining his craft: “The Royal Family have kept hats alive in the imagination of people.
“If the Royal Family didn’t wear hats, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you. It’s as extreme as that.”
He views the royals as standard-bearers for elegance, arguing that the public draws inspiration from their appearance.
He said: “They look their best, and we look to them for how to look our best.
“We don’t want to see them in a tracksuit; you want to see them looking absolutely beautiful. It’s an uplifting vision that matters, intrinsically, to people.”
