Queen Elizabeth II appeared at London Fashion Week for the first time ever this evening to give out a new award.
The Queen, 91, is presenting the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. for the first time.
Her Majesty visited designers in the showroom at the event, where the craftspeople show their wares to potential buyers.
Francis Wadsworth-Jones, 34, from London, revealed exclusively to Express.co.uk what it was like to meet the royal, and why she chuckled at her jewellery.
Francis said: “We are all a bit reeling in the showroom. We didn’t know she as coming, we knew someone important was coming but we had no idea it was the Queen.
“She stopped and spoke to lots of designers and she was there with Caroline Rush, the Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council.”
One special piece of jewellery of Francis’s caught her eye.
Francis said: “I had a brief conversation with her about my pearls. I make pearls which are sightly unusual. One of them is called “King” and it has a crown.
“I showed her the piece with the crown, which she thought was very amusing.”
The Queen asked Francis about who she was hoping to meet at London Fashion Week.
“I said I certainly hadn’t expected to meet the Queen. That’s all I can remember,” Francis said.
The event was buzzing as the Queen stepped into the showroom, the designer revealed.
“There was lots of security, so we had a sense that it was someone important. We guessed royalty, but we had no idea it would be the Queen.
“It was just really nice. She seemed genuinely interested, she had something to say to everyone.”
When asked whether the Queen had purchased anything in the showroom, Francis said: “I don’t know.”
Elizabeth II, who is known for her own unique sense of style, sat next to US Vogue Editor Anna Wintour.
She took in the colourful Richard Quinn catwalk show. The Central Saint Martins MA Fashion graduate is known for his unusual designs.
