The Fashion Awards is no stranger to royalty, with Princess Diana attending the annual ceremony at London’s Royal Albert Hall all the way back in 1989. But when Meghan Markle made a surprise appearance nearly 30 years later to present her wedding dress maker, Clare Waight Keller, with the British Womenswear Designer of the Year award in 2018, there were audible gasps across the auditorium.
“It is such a pleasure to be here, celebrating British fashion,” said the Duches, who was around four months pregnant with her first child, Archie, at the time. “As all of you in this room know, we have a deep connection to what we wear. Sometimes it’s very personal, sometimes it’s emotional. But for me, this connection is rooted in really being able to understand that it’s about supporting and empowering each other, especially as women.”
The sentiment was echoed by Waight Keller, who told the audience: “This woman is so amazing. I have got to know Meghan on such a personal level. And to have someone like that trust you in an incredible moment in their life—their wedding day—is just the most unbelievable honor. I can’t thank you enough, but thank you again.”
Naturally, Meghan—who appeared alongside actor Rosamund Pike—wore Givenchy on the night: a custom black velvet one-shoulder dress. But the secret had been kept so well that Waight Keller had no idea what the gown was for. “I was actually fitting her for the dress last week and she said, ‘Oh I’m going to this thing next week, I think it’s Monday or Tuesday night, I have to check my calendar,’” the designer revealed at the time. “I just did not think anything of it.”