Former Queen’s milliner Louisa McIntyre judges hat competition at Walhampton School

A FORMER milliner to the Queen was the guest of honour at a hat competition for youngsters at Walhampton School.

Louisa McIntyre, who used to have her own shop on Lymington’s High Street, enjoyed judging the entrants which were modelled by their young creators.

They included pupil Henry Cole who took part in the event despte breaking his collar bone the previous day.

Louisa, who now lives at Colten Care’s Belmore Lodge in Lymington , said: “I had a fabulous time seeing all these young people being so creative.”

After training with Mayfair-based Danish designer Aage Thaarup – who was known for the hats he created for Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret – she went on to work for French fashion houses Dior, Chanel and Jacques Fath.

After her time in Paris, Louisa moved to Lymington and in 1959 opened her High Street millinery shop and label under the trading name ‘Liz Tilley’.

She chose the name because Tilley was her husband’s surname and she thought ‘Liz Tilley’ had a nice sound to it.

The shop became a prominent fixture of the street and a well-known destination for fashionistas until it closed in the 1990s.

When she moved to Belmore Lodge in 2022, Louisa brought with her a scrapbook of pictures and press photos featuring hats she made for Queen Elizabeth II.

The care home and Walhampton School have enjoyed previous events together including a performance by the school’s chapel choir.

Belmore Lodge’s Sharon Semple said: “We had such a warm welcome from Walhampton School when we attended their fete.

“That visit and their choir’s performance in our garden a couple of weeks before were both lovely experiences for all involved.”