The Story Behind Meghan’s Surprise Appearance At The Fashion Awards

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, the Duchess of Sussex, made a surprise appearance nearly 30 years later, in 2018, to present her wedding dress maker, Clare Waight Keller, with the British Womenswear Designer of the Year award, there were audible gasps across the auditorium.

“It is such a pleasure to be here, celebrating British fashion,” said the Duchess, who was around four months pregnant with her first child, Prince 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 honour. 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.”