Princess Maxima Narrowly Avoids Hat-astrophe (PHOTOS, POLL)

Dutch Princess Maxima visited Curacao on Saturday where she nearly had a hat-astrophe -- that's hat catastrophe -- pairing her printed red, pink and white dress with a floppy, beige sun hat. Which she thankfully removed before too many photographs were taken.

But maybe we're being a little harsh. Perhaps the hat made the outfit.

Take a look and tell us what you think.

Quick Poll

Princess Maxima's sun hat:

Hit! She should have kept it on.

Miss! What was she thinking?

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Comments

[Connie Markley Boppre]

12:51 PM on 10/12/2010

don't know about the hat, but her earrings are probably worth more than any of us make in a year

[Uproar]

08:43 AM on 10/12/2010

Maybe she avoided a "hat"astrophe, but her outfit is atrocious.

[southingtonian]

05:18 AM on 10/12/2010

I know Fashion Know-all Heidi Klum hates 'matchy-matchy', but I think done right, it produces a much more put together look than a pink dress with blue bag and orange sandals, as I've seen promoted on the runway.

[powerhuff]

05:13 AM on 10/12/2010

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, "HAT" like "CAT"! BRILLIANT!

[giraf]

10:21 PM on 10/11/2010

I've been to the Dutch Antilles and any hat will do, the sun is so intense, but its also very windy, (ever seen those dry trees that grow in one direction? Dutch Antilles trees!) big chance that her huge hat would blow her in same direction... not a bad metaphor for dissolving constituency....
http://barbidoesmiami.wordpress.com/

[LMPE]

06:06 PM on 10/11/2010

It's probably worth noting why Maxima went to Curacao. On Sunday, the Netherlands Antilles got dissolved, with each of the islands becoming a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. No doubt Maxima went to Curacao to oversee the change.

I don't find that a bad hat.

[Dwalker1]

07:59 AM on 10/13/2010

Thank you for the background, I have been traveling and didn't realize the significance of this trip.

On another note, Maxima has access to some of the most stunning jewelry in the world. It is always interesting to see her accessories.

[clarendon67]

05:35 PM on 10/11/2010

I love hats and that hat is beautiful. Pity about the wind. A lot of Americans think it's stupid to wear hats. No one wears a hat like a black woman all dressed for church. Love it.

[lee4713]

10:32 PM on 10/11/2010

Up here it's freezing in winter so a hat is a necessity - might as well look good doing it!

And Princess Maxima has a job to do, so whatever works. I'd love to meet her - she seems so effervescent and warm.

[ameal]

04:05 AM on 10/12/2010

Not only Americans. I appreciate a good hat but her whole outfit is eek. Why do grown women dress like candy floss? Hate matching bag, shoes, dress

[bisbeeornotbisbee]

03:04 PM on 10/11/2010

There is nothing wrong with her hat. She looks marvelous, as always. It is intelligent to wear a hat in Curacao. I imagine if it hadn't been so windy, and she had used her hat pins, she wouldn't have had a problem with it. She reminds me a lot of Michelle Obama. I don't know if she's as intelligent as Michelle, but I love Maxima because she appears to be supremely self-confident and unflappable, and good-humored to boot. Brava, Maxima, from you loyal American fan!

[mssreader]

11:16 PM on 10/13/2010

bisbee, I think you'll find that Maxima is every bit as smart as Michelle and has had impressive jobs in banking:http://www.reinamaxima.com/biografia%20-%20ingles.html. I like her too and she's very pretty. And why you were flagged I've no idea.

[patriciacaldwell]

02:22 PM on 10/11/2010

Well, it's either industrial-strength sunscreen or a big hat. I know this is the Style section, but I would wear both before the sun damaged my complexion.

[sharmaine73]

02:20 PM on 10/11/2010

I love hats. In my next life I'm going to be a millinery.

[wishfulslinking]

03:20 PM on 10/11/2010

Milliner ;-)

[sharmaine73]

04:16 PM on 10/11/2010

Oh thank you! You know at first I did spell it that way, then I did a quick check on google to see if it came up and I didn't see it. But yes, I would love to be a milliner. :)

[wishfulslinking]

02:06 PM on 10/11/2010

Hatpins, Dear, lots of them.

[sharmaine73]

02:20 PM on 10/11/2010

Agreed. People just don't knbow HOW to wear hats anymore. Shams.

[sharmaine73]

04:31 PM on 10/11/2010

Also I meant to say "shame" not "shams".

[Meldy1]

01:27 PM on 10/11/2010

Royalty misser,it can happen all the time!Sorry your highness....