Duchess of Sussex makes surprise appearance at British Fashion Awards to honour her wedding dress designer

The Duchess of Sussex made a surprise appearance at the British Fashion Awards on Monday night.

The 37-year-old stunned the audience when she came on stage to present a gong to her wedding dress designer, Clare Waight Keller of Givenchy, on Monday evening.

Waight Keller won the prestigious British Womenswear Designer of the Year award and thanked Meghan personally in her speech at the star-studded awards ceremony at the historic Royal Albert Hall in Kensington, London.

She said: "This woman is so amazing. I got to know Meghan on such a personal level. To have someone like that trust you on such a personal moment in their life... I can’t thank you enough because it was the most beautiful moment."

The Duchess, who is expecting her first child in the spring, wore a black one-shoulder fishtail gown that showed off her growing baby bump.

Naturally, Meghan wore a Givenchy gown for the occasion and paid tribute to Keller.

"I feel especially proud to announce tonight's winner, who yes is a British designer leading on the global stage with vision and creativity, but also with incredible kindness," she said.

"Which is why when I met her for the first time 11 months ago I knew we would be working very closely together."

Waight Keller made history in 2017 when she became the first female artistic director at the French fashion house, founded in 1952.

When Meghan chose the Birmingham-born designer the duchess said she had admired her "timeless and elegant aesthetic".

The pair collaborated to design the open-necklined dress, which had three-quarter-length sleeves to "add a note of refined modernity".

Meghan, who was recently shortlisted for TIME magazines's Person of the Year, cradled her bump on stage as Waight Keller spoke.

The pair left the stage together and the duchess, with her hair pulled back in a tight bun, put her arm around the designer.