Philip Somerville facts for kids

Kate Middleton, seen here with Prince Harry, hired a Philip Somerville hat in 2008 that sold for over £3,000 at a charity auction in 2012

Philip Douglas Frank Somerville (born February 12, 1930 – died September 14, 2014) was a famous English hat designer, also known as a milliner. He learned some of his skills in Auckland, New Zealand. Later, he opened his own hat shop in London.

Philip Somerville was very well-known for making hats for important people. These included Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana. The Queen even gave him a special award called a Royal Warrant. This meant he was an official supplier to the Royal Family. He also designed hats for characters in two James Bond movies.

The Sunday Times newspaper wrote that he helped shape Princess Diana's style. They said he also influenced what kind of hats people in the country liked to wear.

Early Life and His Start in Hats

Philip Somerville was born in Winchester, a city in Hampshire, England. His father repaired shoes. Philip went to St Thomas's School.

After school, he worked for a short time in the Merchant Navy. Then, he tried acting in Australia, but it wasn't very successful. His family moved to Invercargill in New Zealand. Philip joined them there.

In 1953, he started working for a company called Jean Hat Company. Later, he moved to Star Hat Company in Auckland. In 1961, Star Hat Company sent him to the UK for a "study holiday." This was to learn more about hat making. Philip paid back the money and began working for another hat designer, Otto Lucas. He was a sales manager and assistant there.

Starting His Own Hat Business

Philip Somerville began designing hats for the Otto Lucas brand. In 1971, Otto Lucas died in a plane crash. After this, Philip decided to start his own hat business.

He started by selling his hats to big stores in London, like Harrods. He also sold them to fancy shops in New York City. In 1987, he opened his own shop on Bond Street in London. Here, he made custom hats for private customers. Later, his shop moved to Chiltern Street in Marylebone.

Hats for the Royal Family

Queen Elizabeth II became a customer of Philip Somerville in the early 1980s. At one point, he was making about 50 hats for her each year! This was a very detailed process. He had to make sure the hat's color matched her clothes perfectly. He also did many fittings to make sure the hat fit well and stayed on, no matter the weather.

Other members of the British Royal Family also wore his hats. These included Princess Diana and the Duchess of Kent. European royalty, like Queen Silvia of Sweden, were also fans.

Philip Somerville is said to have convinced Princess Diana to wear bigger hats. She started wearing hats with wider brims instead of the smaller, feathered ones she liked at first. He believed this new style helped more young people want to buy hats.

More recently, Philip Somerville made a hat that Kate Middleton rented. This hat was sold at a charity auction in 2012. It sold for more than double its expected price!

Other Famous Clients

Many other famous people wore Philip Somerville's hats. These included opera singer Kiri te Kanawa, actress Joan Collins, and former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

He also made hats for two villains in James Bond films. He designed the large black hat worn by Xenia (played by Famke Janssen) in the movie GoldenEye. He also made the fur hat worn by Elektra King (played by Sophie Marceau) in The World Is Not Enough.

Even though he made hats for celebrities, many of his hats were bought or rented by everyday people. They wore them for special events like weddings. For example, Kate Middleton paid £100 to rent her Somerville hat. About one-third of his business came from events at Royal Ascot, a famous horse racing event.

His Legacy and Apprentices

Philip Somerville also helped train new hat designers. Rachel Trevor-Morgan, who now also holds a Royal Warrant, was an apprentice at his shop. She said that working with him taught her how important it is to have good relationships with people.

Philip Somerville continued making hats until 2008. He then retired, and his hat shop on Chiltern Street closed.