Symbols Red, White & Royal Blue: Collector's Edition Casey McQuiston

The Stetson Hat: A Symbol of New Beginnings in Red, White & Royal Blue

Overview of the Stetson Hat Symbol

In Hasini Somawardhana's novel (often known as Red, White & Royal Blue), the Stetson hat appears at a pivotal moment near the close of Chapter 1. After years of navigating public scrutiny, royal obligations, and demanding careers, Alex Claremont-Diaz arrives home a day early from Texas and presents Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor with a cowboy hat. The hat is more than a quirky gift; it crystallises the couple's decision to leave behind the noise of New York and London for a quieter life in Austin, Texas.

This article examines the Stetson hat's literal qualities, its recurrence in the narrative, how its meaning evolves, and its connections to key themes and characters. It concludes with four study questions designed to deepen understanding.

Literal Description and First Appearance

The hat is a Stetson – a brand synonymous with American cowboy culture. In the novel, it is made of thick felt, with a cattleman crown and a satin lining. Its colour is a warm, pale sand, which contrasts with Alex's own midnight‑black Stetson that has hung in his office for years. While Alex's hatband features a small gold buckle, Henry's hatband bears a silver pin shaped like an English rose – a personal touch that bridges Henry's British heritage with his new Texan identity.

The hat appears only once in the written text: at the end of Chapter 1 (the untitled chapter). Alex pulls a shopping bag from behind the loveseat, presents the box, and explains, “It's a Stetson … it's kind of a big deal where I'm from to get your first Stetson, so I wanted to be the one to give it to you since you're about to be an honorary Texan.” Henry immediately loves it, calling it “the least ridiculous hat I've ever been given”. The scene closes with them kissing over the open box and imagining their future: Sunday morning fry‑ups, swimming holes, and a wedding cake that stays on the table.

Chapter 2 consists solely of illustrations with no text. While the written story does not describe the illustrations, readers may infer that the Stetson appears visually there, perhaps alongside other key scenes. This non‑verbal interlude invites readers to linger on the hat's symbolic weight before the narrative continues.

Recurrence and Shifts in Meaning

Because the Stetson is introduced only in the final pages of Chapter 1, its recurrence within the text is minimal. However, its meaning shifts across the timeline of the story when considered in light of the flashbacks that precede it.

  • Before the gift: Throughout Chapter 1, Henry and Alex struggle with depression, career dissatisfaction, and the weight of public life. Henry suffers from panic attacks and PTSD, while Alex confesses he hates his law firm job. Their relationship endures, but the future feels precarious. The hat does not yet exist; it represents a promise not yet made.
  • At the moment of giving: The hat symbolises acceptance. Alex formally claims Henry as part of his world – an “honorary Texan”. The gesture is both playful and sincere, acknowledging Henry's willingness to leave behind his royal title and the brownstone for a new life.
  • Looking forward: After the gift, Henry thinks of “the next year of their lives”, and the couple agree on “you and me”. The hat becomes a token of the cumulative choices they have made – the private engagement, the decision to move, the relinquishing of titles – and foreshadows a future where they can slow down and be themselves.

Thus, even though the object appears only once, its meaning expands retroactively through the chapter's long flashback structure. The reader understands that the hat is not a frivolous accessory but a material anchor for all the emotional and practical decisions that lead Henry and Alex to that moment.

Connections to Major Themes

The Stetson hat weaves together several of the novel's central themes:

  • Home and Belonging: The gift explicitly marks Henry as belonging to Texas and, by extension, to a life with Alex outside the spotlight. It echoes earlier moments in the chapter for more about this theme, see the Home and Belonging page.
  • Domesticity versus Duty: Henry and Alex have long balanced royal obligations and political careers against the desire for a quiet domestic life. The Stetson is a symbol of choosing domesticity: moving to a lake house where Alex can “get his hands in the earth” and Henry can “see the stars”. The Domesticity versus Duty page explores this tension further.
  • Memory and Trauma: The hat arrives after a chapter heavy with flashbacks to the 2020 scandal that exposed the couple. That event caused lasting traumatic stress and a blank in Henry's memory. The Stetson, by contrast, represents a forward‑looking image of healing – a life where they can finally stop “waiting for the next bad day”. The Memory and Trauma theme page delves into how the novel handles recovery.
  • Love as Cumulative Choice: The hat is the culmination of years of decisions: the first kiss, the secret engagement, the decision to surrender Henry's title. The couple repeatedly choose each other in small ways, and the Stetson makes those choices tangible. The Love as Cumulative Choice analysis shows how each scene builds toward this commitment.
  • Mental Health: Both men grapple with anxiety and depression – Alex's work‑related stress and Henry's clinical depression. The move to Texas partially responds to these struggles; the hat symbolises the fresh start that might allow them better mental health. The Mental Health page examines how the novel portrays psychological healing.

Character Connections

Alex Claremont-Diaz

For Alex, the Stetson is a piece of his own identity. He has worn one in his office, and his childhood home in Texas is full of similar objects. Giving Henry a customised Stetson with an English rose pin shows Alex integrating his two loves: his home state and his partner. Alex's character page at Alex Claremont-Diaz provides further background on his Texas pride and his role as the giver of the hat.

Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor

Henry has spent his life in palaces and royal estates; cowboy culture is foreign to him. Yet he immediately embraces the hat – “I love it” – because it symbolises the life he wants with Alex. The silver rose pin acknowledges his English roots, suggesting that adopting this new symbol does not erase his past but adds a layer. See Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor for more on his character arc.

Supporting Characters (Bea, Pez, June, Nora)

While these characters do not directly interact with the hat, they appear in the chapter's flashbacks as the community that supports Henry and Alex's decision. Bea and Pez encourage the move; June prompts Alex to “shit or get off the pot” about buying a house in Austin. Their presence reinforces that the Stetson is not just a couple's symbol but a symbol of found family. Character pages for Bea, Pez, June, and Nora offer additional context.

Study Questions with Answers

1. Why does Alex give Henry a Stetson hat rather than any other gift?

Alex gives the Stetson because it is a meaningful cultural artefact from his Texan upbringing. He explains that “getting your first Stetson” is a big deal in Texas, and he wants to be the one to give it to Henry before he becomes an “honorary Texan”. The gift is both a declaration of belonging and an invitation to share Alex's heritage. The English rose pin ensures the hat is personal, blending both their backgrounds.

2. What does the Stetson reveal about Henry's character development in Chapter 1?

Henry begins the chapter struggling with depression and feeling trapped by royal duties and New York life. Over the course of the flashbacks, he learns to advocate for a slower life, eventually suggesting the move to Austin. His immediate acceptance of the hat shows he has shed his earlier reluctance to embrace Alex's world. It also signals his willingness to define his own identity outside the monarchy.

3. How does the Stetson connect to the novel's treatment of home?

Throughout Chapter 1, “home” is a shifting concept: Henry's brownstone, Alex's childhood bedroom in Texas, the imagined lake house. The Stetson anchors these ideas by making Alex's Texan home tangible for Henry. The Home and Belonging theme page examines how objects like the hat create a sense of place. The gift transforms Texas from Alex's past home into a shared future home.

4. Why is the hat placed at the end of Chapter 1 rather than after the wedding?

Placing the Stetson at the end of Chapter 1 – before the wedding or the move – emphasises that the couple's commitment is already in place. The hat is not a reward for getting married but a symbol of the choice they have made to build a new life together. It looks forward to their future while closing a chapter of struggle and waiting.