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From one angle it looks like she's got a satellite dish attached to her head.
From the other the hat mimics a bird displaying its feathers in an extravagant courtship ritual.
The Countess of Wessex certainly took the prize yesterday for the most extravagant hat as members of the Royal Family attended a service to mark Commonwealth Day.
Mixed reception: The Countess of Wessex in her 'dish' hat and showing the feathers on the other side
In contrast, the Queen and Duchess of Cornwall were far more conservative with their choice of headgear at Westminster Abbey.
Camilla sported a bright purple hat with a floral design sitting atop to match her dress.
The Queen, who is head of the Commonwealth, wore a bright pink Peter Enrione dress with a pink cashmere coat and matching hat by Angela Kelly.
The packed event in celebration of the British Commonwealth was attended by more than 1,000 school children and leaders of UK faiths.
Resplendent in pink: The Queen Elizabeth arrives at Westminster Abbey to attend the annual Commonwealth Day Observance Service
The guests were treated to a number of performances from artists throughout the Commonwealth – including a version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah by Canadian singer Rufus Wainwright.
In a pre-recorded message of unity played to the congregation, the Queen celebrated the 'creative genius' of artists from different cultures.
She said: 'Our circumstances and surroundings may vary enormously, for example in the food we eat and the clothes we wear, but we share one humanity, and this draws us all together.
The Duchess of Cornwall, in purple, accompanied The Queen at the outing
Resplendent in pink: The Queen arrives for the annual Commonwealth Observance at Westminster Abbey accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, and is also pictured leaving the service
Dazzling: The Queen smiled broadly as she was greeted by church dignitaries
The Queen leaves Westminster Abbey with the Very Reverend Dr John Hall (fifth right), the Dean of Westminster after the ceremony
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall also attended the service, which had a theme of Connecting Cultures
The Duchess of Cornwall wore a vibrant purple dress and jacket with a Philip Treacy hat, while the Countess of Wessex wore a taupe silk coat over a black dress, set off with a stunning feathered hat
'The joys of celebration and sympathy of sadness may be expressed differently but they are felt in the same way the world over.'
The Commonwealth theme this year, Connecting Cultures, marks the Diamond Jubilee with a digital history project run by the Royal Commonwealth Society, the Jubilee Time Capsule which collects memories from across the globe.
So far 28,000 entries have been received from people in 49 countries, with the capsule due to be sealed later in the year and presented to the Queen.
PRETTY IN PINK: THE QUEEN'S COLOURFUL PAST
Head-to-toe hot pink is not an unusual choice for the Queen. It is a colour that she has worn to great effect on countless previous occasions. Here are some of her best pink outfits...
Wowing the crowds on the first day of her Diamond Jubilee tour last week (and outshining the Duchess of Cambridge at the same time) and, right, on an earlier occasion with fur accessories but the same shoes
Visiting the Queen Mary II liner at Southampton port in 2004
Left, at a Golden Jubilee garden party in 2002, and right, on a visit to Blois in France wearing an outfit designed by Ian Thomas
The queen is more stylish and striking now than she was when she was younger. I love all these pink outiits - and the hats. Camilla's purpleis stunning too and as for the hat - wow! The satellite dish is very silly indeed, but amusing, though the neutral outfit is boring, IMO.
- Kate Evans, Nottingham,England, 13/3/2012 05:46
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