Hat, riding hat

A woman's riding hat, traditionally said to have belonged to Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent. The hat is made from beaver and lined with ivory-coloured figured silk. It is finished with a hat band made from a narrow width of black ribbed silk ribbon which has been passed through a rectangular black lacquered metal buckle to form a half-bow at the front left side. The hat has a high flat crown and a slightly down-turned brim 6cm wide. The lining is padded around the lower part of the crown. A crescent-shaped piece of black wool felt has been stitched to the underside of the brim at the centre back, to protect the fur from the wearer's hair.