Princess Beatrice's Hat
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Maybe it was the sinuous yet rigid convulsions. Or perhaps the precarious way it perched on her head. Or the vortex of the giant “O.” Somehow, Princess Beatrice’s taupe fascinator became one of the most enduring images of the royal wedding on Apr. 29.
The hat was just one small part of the spectacle. In the U.S., nearly 23 million people watched, while in another former colony more than 42 million Indians tuned in. British subjects and hordes of international tourists lined London’s streets to watch the procession, purchasing souvenir mugs and leaving some 140 tons of trash in their wake. At the same time, factories in China raced to knock off Kate’s bridal gown.