Hats Off to Bea!

It has been the subject of ridicule for weeks, but Princess Beatrice has had the last laugh as her Philip Treacy hat has sold for a whopping £81,000! The 22-year-old princess enthused: 'I'm so excited. I couldn't believe it raised so much money.' With the proceeds of the eBay auction to be shared between Unicef and Children in Crisis the only thing left to say on the topic is 'well done Bea!' She has handled the whole 'hat controversy' (as it was dubbed by Oprah) with the good humour and grace befitting a princess.

Appearing at this week's Chelsea Flower Show, Beatrice attracted admiring glances thanks to her choice of figure-hugging fuscia dress by Roland Mouret.