The Journey of a Designer and the Royal Connection
For many designers, having a royal wear one of their creations is an achievement that can define their career. However, the selection process for royals is highly selective, as they must adhere to strict protocols when appearing in public. This makes it incredibly challenging for brands to gain access to the royal household. For those who manage to break through, it can be a life-changing opportunity.
One such designer is Deborah Hutton, whose hats have become a favorite among Denmark’s Queen Mary. Hutton credits her success to a “sneaky route” she took when first approaching the queen. Her approach involved a clever strategy that ultimately led to a lasting, unofficial partnership with the royal.
A Danish business associate of Hutton’s was visiting family in Copenhagen when he dropped off a package for Queen Mary, then Crown Princess. The parcel, left at the Australian embassy, contained several Canopy Bay hats and a handwritten note from Hutton.
“You have no idea whether [the parcel] is going to be accepted, and all of a sudden there’s a photograph in the media and she’s wearing the hat,” Hutton recalls. “You go, ‘Okay, clearly she got it and she loved it.'”
Hutton doesn’t remember exactly what her note said, but her designs resonated with the royal, who has since worn four of the brand’s hats since 2022.
The first hat, the ‘Peta,’ was worn during Queen Mary’s visit to Bangladesh, where the focus was on climate change and sustainability—two causes close to the queen’s heart. Another design, the Malibu, was seen on the queen when she and King Frederik took up residence at Graasten Palace. Last year, the queen wore two other designs—the Barrington and Windsor—during her and King Frederik’s summer cruise through Denmark.
“I’m completely chuffed and I love that she’s embraced them,” Hutton says. “It’s one of the things that I’m just so grateful for, but I love that she’s done it with such authenticity.”
Shared Causes and Personal Connection
Beyond aesthetics, Hutton and Queen Mary share a common cause: skin cancer prevention. Queen Mary’s experiences with the Australian sun led her to become a long-time patron of the Danish Cancer Society’s Sunsmart campaign. During a visit to Australia in 2011, she attended an event in support of the Victorian Cancer Council and later spoke about the need for constant protection at an international skin cancer prevention conference.
“Like most people from Australia, I have ‘respect’ for the sun, and when I first came to Denmark, I was quite surprised to discover a very different attitude to the sun,” Mary said.
Hutton, who has worked in fashion, television, and the media throughout her career, turned her attention to designing hats after being diagnosed with skin cancer in 2016 and again in 2020. Photos of her scarred face, taken after the removal of a skin cancer, went viral and led to Hutton becoming a leading voice on the need for greater awareness and protection.
Canopy Bay was born during the coronavirus lockdowns, and the products are UPF50+ rated, providing ample protection from the sun’s harsh rays. The hats are crafted from Australian-made pioneering Flexibraid technology, aimed at travelers and those who want to squish their hats into their bags without compromising the shape.
The features appealed to Queen Mary, Hutton believes.
“I’m sure she’s inundated with all sorts of fashion elements and requests,” Hutton says. “I don’t know what the protocols are, but I love the fact that, without any being too pushy, she spotted something in Canopy Bay—being Australian made, with the UPF50+ protection and also the Flexibraid element, which is why they travel so well.”
A Deep Admiration for Queen Mary
Like many Australians, Hutton admires Queen Mary and has closely watched her journey from commoner to queen.
“Queen Mary is so well embraced; we love her in this country because she’s all class. She’s held herself so well, and we still call her an Aussie. She’s just got that essence where she knows what works for her—everything always looks so elegant without being overdone.”
“The life that she’s taken on, that she’s chosen to take, has been done with such grace. It’s lovely to be a part of that in a very small way.”
Hutton does have one small complaint about Queen Mary’s wardrobe choices during her historic state visit to Australia.
“Disappointingly, she wasn’t wearing one of mine in Uluru,” Hutton laughs. Instead, Mary chose an Akubra for her first official engagement on home soil as queen.
Hutton now has her sights set on another very stylish royal rumoured to be visiting Australia soon: the Princess of Wales.
“The last time I saw her wear a hat was quite controversial because she was at Wimbledon,” Hutton says. According to the tournament’s strict etiquette guide, “ladies are asked not to wear hats, as they tend to obscure the vision of those seated behind them.” The Princess of Wales wore a large wide-brimmed LK Bennett hat in 2022 and again in 2025 to the men’s final. Then, the princess was seen using a fan to battle the heatwave that was gripping London at the time.
Nicole Kidman was photographed nearby wearing a Brunello Cucinelli straw fedora, offering far better sun protection than Catherine’s choice.
“You could see all the sun coming through the hat,” Hutton says. “It was doing nothing for sun protection.”
Catherine’s hat, which cost $150, quickly sold out multiple times, but the brand has since collapsed, despite its royal client.
Hutton is hoping the Princess of Wales might choose one of her hats when she and Prince William eventually make the long journey to Australia.
“We need to send her a Canopy Bay hat,” Hutton laughs.
