On Wednesday, the Duchess of Cambridge will award the Queen Elizabeth II Award for Design, following in the footsteps of several other royal ladies.
The award is given to honor the cultural and commercial significance of British design during the Queen’s reign. The award has been given out by a variety of women in the royal family, with Her Majesty presenting the first award in 2018 to designer Richard Quinn, whose designs have previously been worn by celebrities such as Amal Clooney.
The Duchess of Cornwall presented the award in 2019, Princess Anne presented it in 2020, and Sophie Wessex presented it last year.
The Duchess arrived at the Design Museum in London for the ceremony, which is being hosted by the British Fashion Council.
Kate looked stunning as she arrived, dressed in a stunning dress by Canadian designer Edeline Lee.
She met with designers who had received funding from the British Fashion Council Foundation’s designer initiatives, including NEWGEN, Fashion Trust, BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund, and BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund, at the event.
The funds provide financial assistance as well as mentoring to up-and-coming designers as they develop their brands.
The award was presented by the Duchess to designer Saul Nash, who was a popular choice among the audience.
Following his acceptance of the award, Saul stated: “It’s always an honor and a little surreal to receive it from the Duchess herself. I am truly humbled.
“I grew up in London and went on to study performance after finishing sixth form. I never intended to be a fashion designer; it just happened. I’ve always wanted to design sportswear and challenge preconceptions about the industry. I don’t dress for special occasions; instead, I wear what I want, when I want it. It’s all about self-emancipation.
“As a designer, my job is to ask new questions. Many of those dancers are old friends of mine from previous seasons. I am a very cooperative person.”
The royal said in a speech: “It is a true privilege to be here today. Well done and congratulations on hearing so many inspiring stories about Britain’s creativity and seeing such incredible work from so many talented designers.”
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Kindness and professionalism shone through with the Duchess of Cambridge. I think all of us who belong to the Commonwealth are very proud to have the Duchess representing the Queen.