Princess Kate at the British Fashion Council Awards
The Princess of Wales made a surprise appearance in London today for the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design
Hello Dear Readers,
What a delightful turn of events! Today, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, reaffirmed her dedication to supporting British fashion and independent designers, making an unexpected appearance at 180 Studios in London to present the esteemed Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.
As you may have gathered from the name, the award was originally established in collaboration with the late Queen Elizabeth II to honour the vital role the fashion industry plays in society and diplomacy. It is bestowed annually and presented by a senior member of the Royal Family to an emerging British fashion designer who exhibits exceptional talent and originality, whilst demonstrating a commitment to community values and strong sustainable practices.
In 2018, Queen Elizabeth II took her place in the front row, on her own specially padded blue cushion, at British fashion designer Richard Quinn’s debut runway show, seated beside Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. Afterwards, with tears in the front row and cheers from the audience, the late Queen congratulated Quinn and bestowed upon him the inaugural honor—a rose-shaped award designed by Angela Kelly, who had served as the Queen’s personal assistant and senior dresser since 2002.
This year’s honor was bestowed upon Liverpool-born, London-based designer Patrick McDowell.
Over the years, the award has been presented by other senior royals, including King Charles (2023), The Princess Royal (2024), and The Duchess of Edinburgh (2021).
Catherine last presented in 2022, the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, to British menswear designer Saul Nash. At this event, Catherine wore a belted green dress by British-Canadian designer Edeline Lee.
Today, Catherine wore
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to HRH Royal Tea to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.