That hat – and Beatrice shows her true class.

I must put my hands up and admit that I was among the many who went to print, mocking Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s lack of style with their choice of outfits for the Royal Wedding. My comments weren’t particularly nasty, a little unkind maybe, but not as vitriolic as the deluge of insults that followed.

‘The hat’ became an internet sensation, with mock ups of Beatrice’s headgear showing it as a cat flap and even a toilet. And Eugenie was ridiculed for wearing an outfit that appeared to be poorly finished, too tight and unflattering.

But we shouldn’t really be criticising these young girls. It is their designers who should know better. The reason Kate’s wedding dress was such a success was because the designer, Sarah Burton, made sure that the style flattered her client, enabling Kate’s natural beauty to shine through. There was no ego involved in the creation which is probably what makes Sarah such a very special creative director for the Alexander McQueen fashion house.

It is Vivien Westwood, the designer of Eugenie’s dress and Philip Treacy, who put together Beatrice’s hat, who should be mocked. They would have been paid handsomely for these pieces, and they did not do right by their clients. 

Coco Chanel once said ‘Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions’

Beatrice’s Valentino Coat and dress were beautiful, and Treacy should have crafted something in proportion. Eugenie has a lovely, curvy figure and Westwood should have created an ensemble to enhance her shape, not bundle it up.

If we are going to bang on about style, let’s not forget that a bigger faux pas was the Prime Minister’s wife, Samantha Cameron not even wearing a hat at all – at least the Princesses cannot be accused of failing to join in with the spirit of the occasion.

So - 9 /10 for Prince Andrew’s daughters and 2/10 for Treacy and Westwood.

At the end of the day, none of this really matters – and as Treacy said ‘no-one is crying’ (easy for him to say – he didn’t have to wear the thing)

But the last laugh goes to the Princesses. Eugenie continues to smile her adorable smile and Beatrice has played the master stroke of auctioning the headpiece on ebay. It’s expected to fetch at least £5,000 for her two favourite good causes, Unicef and Children in Crisis.

Beatrice said ‘, “I've been amazed by the amount of attention the hat has attracted. It's a wonderful opportunity to raise as much money as possible for two fantastic charities. - I hope whoever wins the auction has as much fun with the hat as I have.”

Now that’s what I call real style.