The 91-year-old British monarch sat in the front row with fashion royalty Anna Wintour.
Queen Elizabeth II (left) with Vogue's Anna Wintour at London Fashion Week on February 20.
The Queen's visit to London Fashion Week had been kept secret.
Photograph: Yui Mok/Reuters.
London Fashion Week concluded with a big bang surprise yesterday when Queen Elizabeth II made her first ever visit to the LFW catwalk.
She sat in the front row (obviously) next to fashion royalty, Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
The Queen wore a pale blue wool tweed dress and jacket embellished with aquamarine Swarovski crystals by designer Angela Kelly, who was also in the front row. She set them off with a pair of black gloves and sensible black low-heeled court shoes.
The 91-year-old monarch attended London Fashion Week to present the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.
According to the palace, the special award has been initiated in recognition of the role the fashion industry plays in society and diplomacy, and will be awarded annually to an emerging British fashion designer who shows exceptional talent and originality, while demonstrating value to the community and/or strong sustainable policies.
London-born designer Richard Quinn was the first recipient of the award.
Scroll down to see how the rare event unfolded...
The Queen began her visit with a tour of the displays.
She also met New Gen designers, an initiative of the British Fashion Council to support emerging talent.
Photograph: @RoyalFamily/Twitter.
The Queen then attended Richard Quinn's show before presenting him with the The Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.
Photograph: Yui Mok/Reuters.
Richard Quinn established his namesake label in 2016.
The palace tweeted, 'Richard is an emerging talent who studied at Central St Martin's in London and has been recognised for his exceptional prints.
He created a print studio that offers accessible services to students and his peer group of emerging designers, the palace added.
Photographs: Paul Hackett/Reuters.
The Queen addressed the crowd to praise Britain's fashion heritage before presenting the award.
Photograph: Yui Mok/Reuters.
She said, 'From the tweed of the Hebrides to Nottingham lace, and of course Carnaby Street, our fashion industry has been renowned for outstanding craftsmanship for many years, and continues to produce world-class textiles and cutting edge, practical designs.
'As a tribute to the industry, and as my legacy to all those who have contributed to British fashion, I would like to present this award for new, young talent. I would like to thank the British Fashion Council for selecting the first winner -- Richard Quinn.'
Photograph: Yui Mok/Reuters.
Richard Quinn accepts the Award, designed by Angela Kelly, personal advisor to the monarch (The Queen's Wardrobe). The trophy is inspired by the Queen Elizabeth rose.
Photograph: Paul Hackett/Reuters.
