Watch Meghan Markle's Emotional Speech About Her Wedding-Dress Designer and Her ‘New Home'

In a surprise appearance on Monday, the Duchess of Sussex attended the British Fashion Awards to present the trophy for Designer of the Year to none other than her wedding-dress designer, Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy…and her speech got emotional.

Meghan Markle began by saying what a pleasure it was to celebrate British fashion in “my new home of the U.K.,” causing the crowd to erupt into cheering. “Thank you for the warm welcome,” she continued.

“I recently read an article that said the culture of fashion has shifted from one where it was cool to be cruel to now, where it’s cool to be kind,” she said. “To that point 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, which is why when I met her for the first time 11 months ago I knew that we would be working very closely together.”

The expecting duchess, who wore a stunning Givenchy one-shoulder dress that fit her growing baby bump perfectly (seriously, the tailoring here was top-notch), underscored the importance of fashion in her life.

“As all of you in this room know, we have a deep connection to what we wear,” Markle said. “Sometimes it’s very personal, sometimes it’s emotional. But for me, this connection is rooted in really being able to understand that it’s about supporting and empowering each other, especially as women. When we choose to wear a certain designer, we’re not just a reflection of their creativity and their vision but we’re also an extension of their values—of something in the fabric, so to speak, that is much more meaningful.”

All hail the duchess of fashion. Watch the speech above and try not to clap at the end.

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