Meghan, Duchess of Sussex makes a surprise appearance at the annual Fashion Awards

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex made a surprise appearance during the annual Fashion Awards in London last night.

The 37-year-old Duchess was on hand at the glitzy bash at the Royal Albert Hall to give Givenchy's Clare Waight Keller the British Designer of the Year Womenswear Award.

Meghan - who wore a black one-shoulder dress for the ceremony - said on the stage: "It's such a pleasure to be here, celebrating British fashion and British designers, in my new home in the UK."

Meanwhile, Clare - who designed the Duchess' wedding dress - also heaped praise on the British royal, describing her as "amazing".

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."

Elsewhere, Valentino's Pierpaolo Piccioli won the coveted Designer of the Year award, beating off competition from Gucci, Dior Homme, Louis Vuitton and Givenchy.

However, Gucci still enjoyed some success on the evening, taking home the Brand of the Year accolade, while Kim Jones - Dior Homme's creative director - was handed the Trailblazer Award.

Kaia Gerber won the sought-after Model of the Year prize, overcoming competition from Adut Akech, Adwoa Aboah, Bella Hadid and Winnie Harlow to claim the coveted gong.

Kaia, 17, is the daughter of fashion icon Cindy Crawford and she attended the event in London alongside her mother.

Other big-name stars in attendance at the ceremony included David and Victoria Beckham, as well as Kendall Jenner, Kate Moss and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.