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Style

The best fascinators in modern royal history

A fascinator is no mere hat. It's an ornate headpiece — often decorated with flowers or feathers — and popular among royals. Take a look!

/ 15 PHOTOS
Laura Parker Bowles attends the Civil Ceremony for the marriage between HRH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and her mother, Camilla Parker Bowles, at The Guildhall, Windsor on April 9, 2005 in Berkshire, England.

This is one way to spice up an outfit! Laura Parker Bowles wore this festive gold fascinator at the wedding of her mother, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Charles, Prince of Wales, in England in 2005. 

Getty Images
The Duchess Of Cornwall Attends The Wedding Of Laura Parker Bowles & Harry Lopes At St Cyriacs Church, Lacock, Wiltshire.

Her mother returned the favor with this fun fascinator the next year, at her daughter's wedding.

UK Press via Getty Images
Kate Middleton, girlfriend of Prince William is seen at the wedding of Laura Parker Bowles and Harry Lopes at St Cyriac's Church, Lacock on May 6, 2006 in Wiltshire, England. 26-year old Laura (daughter of Camilla and her former husband Andrew), and 29-year old Harry (nephew of the late Lord Roborough and grandson of the late Lord Astor of Hever) announced their engagement in November, having dated for nine years.

The former Kate Middleton, then Prince William's girlfriend, wore this feathery fascinator at the same wedding. 

Tim Graham via Getty Images
Britain's Princess Beatrice attends the wedding of Peter Phillips 30, to Autumn Kelly 31, at St George's Chapel in Windsor on May 17, 2008. The bride recently converted from Roman Catholicism to Anglicanism so that her husband, son of the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, will not have to renounce his right of royal succession.

We can always count on Princess Beatrice of York to have the best fascinators.

Here she is with the fiercest butterfly headpiece to ever be created, at the wedding of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly in 2008. 

AFP-Getty Images
The Princess Royal arrives on The 3rd day of The Royal Meeting at Ascot Racecourse on June 18, 2009 in Ascot, England.

A fascinator fit for the racetrack! Princess Anne wore this fascinator at the Ascot Racecourse in 2009. 

Julian Herbert / Getty Images
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall arrives for the Royal wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall at Canongate Kirk on July 30, 2011 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips will marry England rugby player Mike Tindall today at Canongate Kirk. Many royals are expected to attend including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Flowers, anyone? Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, wore this lovely piece to the royal wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2011. 

Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives to the Royal wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall at Canongate Kirk on July 30, 2011 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips will marry England rugby player Mike Tindall today at Canongate Kirk. Many royals are expected to attend including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Fascinators are often tilted to one side, like this dramatic piece worn by the Duchess of Cambridge at the wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall in 2011. 

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Princess Eugenie of York and Princess Beatrice of York arrive to attend the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011 in London.

At the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011, there were many unique fascinators on display, most memorably this pair, worn by sisters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice of York. 

Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images
Kathie Lee Gifford as Princess Beatrice and Hoda Kotb as Princess Eugenie appear on NBC News' \"Today\" show

And here they are again! Oh wait, that's TODAY's own Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, taking the princesses' style for a spin. Looking good, ladies!

NBC via Getty Images
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson arrives to attend the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011 in London.

Also at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson wore this bright blue fascinator. It was designed by Philip Treacy, the famed London milliner who's often called upon for royal events such as weddings.  

Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images
British soccer player David Beckham and his wife Victoria arrive at Westminster Abbey before the wedding of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton, in central London April 29, 2011.

Victoria Beckham may not be a royal, but she too knows the power of a good fascinator. Here she is with husband David Beckham at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011. 

Reuters

Princess Beatrice strikes again! She wore this mustard yellow fascinator in 2014. We'd love to take a look inside her hat closet. (She probably has a hat closet, right?) 

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Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice attend the traditional Easter Sunday church service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on April 16, 2017 in Windsor, England.

Clearly, her sister has a love for fascinators, too. Here Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice wear similar looks during Easter Sunday church service at England's Windsor Castle in April 2017. 

Getty Images
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge talks with descendants of those who fought in World War One as they attend commemorations marking the centenary of Passchendale on July 30, 2017 in Ypres, Belgium.

The Duchess of Cambridge wore this chic white fascinator in 2017 in Belgium. Note how Kate always matches her fascinators to her outfits. So polished!

Getty Images
Meghan Markle attends Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on December 25, 2017 in King's Lynn, England.

OK, it's more of a hat than a fascinator. Meghan Markle wore this Philip Treacy creation to Christmas church service in London in 2017.

But with her own royal wedding right around the corner, there will be plenty of opportunities to watch Markle embrace the fashion statement piece that is the beloved fascinator. And we can't wait! 

Chris Jackson / Getty Images
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