Royal Fashion Awards: Belgium's Remembrance Mass, 2012

I'm so confused. Every year, the Belgian royal family attends a mass in remembrance of the dead. As you might expect, it usually brings out fairly tame and muted ensembles (this is what they wore last year); after all, we're celebrating the dearly departed here, but we aren't participating in a trippy rave. But somehow this year has turned into some kind of - as I joked on Twitter earlier - Ugly Hat Convention. I'm so confused.

Worst in WHAT?

Princess Astrid

Well, let's just get it out of the way: this is a mushroom, and not the kind you fry for guaranteed deliciousness. This is an altogether more psychedelic version...or perhaps I'm just assuming that's the influence required to sport this. Oh, Astrid. (Question: better or worse than the double hatted disaster? Discuss.)

Worst Veil

Princess Mathilde

Same coat I just admired on Máxima: all good. Sorta-ski hat: passable on the grounds that one never knows when one will need to roll one's hat down and rob something. Veil:...huh? That's not gonna help with the burglary anonymity.

Best Settle

Queen Paola

I can't say I that I find this hat to do any wonders for dear Paola, but with competition like this, it'll do. Carry on, P.

Worst Tragedy

Princess Lea

Oh, I do hope that bird didn't suffer too much when it flew into Lea's head. (We are dealing with some of the lesser-known members of the Belgian royal family here, so in case you need a primer: Lea is the widow of Prince Alexander, half-brother of the king.)

Best in Safe

Princess Esmerelda, Princess Maria Laura, Princess Marie-Astrid

Perhaps the way to go today was to play it safe. It's rare that I would co-sign such a thing, but I consider myself duly disturbed by Astrid's murdered plush toy. (Esmerelda is the half-sister of the king; Maria Laura is Astrid's daughter; Marie-Astrid is a princess of Luxembourg whose uncle is King Albert.)

Best Hat

Princess Claire

I'm not sure about the buttons, but this is not the time to be picky, I suppose. It's kinda funky, and I like it. Bonus points for classy red accents (just think, you know she probably owns the red version of those blasted Natan over-the-knee boots).

Best Dressed

Queen Fabiola

Queen Fabiola! It's just always lovely to see her, and in purple, she's fab as only she can be. (Tip o' the non-existent hat to her classy niece Princess Margaretha there, who is the sister of Princess Marie-Astrid above and is married to a prince of Liechtenstein.)

Who made your best and worst dressed lists?

Photos: PPE/Nieboer/Getty Images/Reuters/Daylife