Philip Treacy (a Treacy quote which is often reproduced): Treacy had previously written a piece for "The Guardian" in May 2001 on what defines the "perfect hat". Treacy's hats are also associated with English royalty, with thirty–six worn at the 29 April 2011 Royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, including the controversial fascinator style hat worn by Princess Beatrice of York. The so–called "pretzel hat" was auctioned for charity by Princess Beatrice on eBay for $130,000 (£80,100.01) on the 22 May 2011. Treacy felt the criticism regarding the "pretzel hat" was very extreme (the hat had its own Facebook page
Patrick Treacy was born in Garrison, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland where his parents ran a shop, garage, and filing station. In 1978, he completed a degree in biochemistry at Queens University in Belfast during the height of The Troubles. Due to the conflict in Northern Ireland, he transferred to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in Dublin to study medicine. He states that he took a break during his education and travelled for a period with David Bowie's Serious Moonlight in Europe. In 1986, Treacy graduated as a doctor. In 1987, Treacy became a practicing doctor in Dublin. In that same year,