Caroline Rush, Queen Elizabeth II and Anna Wintour attend the Richard Quinn show during London Fashion Week. Photo / Getty Images
Caroline Rush, Queen Elizabeth II and Anna Wintour attend the Richard Quinn show during London Fashion Week. Photo / Getty Images
She was described today as the nation's most reluctant style icon.
So it was fitting that the Queen took her place FROW - Front Row, in fashion speak - at London Fashion Week for the first time at the age of 91.
Next to her, appropriately, was the Queen of Style, Dame Anna Wintour, arguably the most influential woman in fashion.
The editor-in-chief of American Vogue (and the inspiration, it is said, for the book The Devil Wears Prada) refused to take off her trademark oversized glasses as the two women sat together side by side on the edge of the runway.
The Queen's sudden appearance on the runway for Richard Quinn's show, escorted by the chief executive of the British Fashion Council, Caroline Rush, caused a gasp of astonishment.
She, however, quietly took her seat - her own Philippe Starck Perspex 'ghost' chair worth around £200 ($380), with arm rests and a velvet cushion - alongside Dame Anna Wintour, who, while refusing to take off her glasses, did stand as a mark of respect.
Commenting on Wintour's shades, etiquette expert William Hanson told MailOnline: "The Queen of Fashion meets The Queen, but sadly has got it wrong here. Whilst Anna Wintour's fashion choices usually are faultless her etiquette today is far from on trend."
The Queen was attending the biggest annual event for the British fashion industry for the first time in her reign to present the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.
The Award, initiated in recognition of the role the fashion industry plays for the U.K, will be awarded annually by a member of the Royal Family to an emerging British fashion designer of both exceptional talent and originality, but one who also demonstrates a social conscience and/or sustainable policies.
The Queen's visit to the London Fashion Week headquarters in The Strand in London had been kept strictly secret and her low-key arrival caused a ripple of astonishment among those normally too fashionable to create a scene.
A model walks in the Richard Quinn show. Photo / Getty Images
Accompanying the Queen, who was wearing a duck egg blue Swarovski crystal studded suit, was her closest confidante, Angela Kelly, Personal Advisor to Her Majesty (The Queen's Wardrobe), who as well as designing the monarch's outfit came up with the idea of the award.
As music blared out from speakers and the models made their way past the monarch in brightly-coloured fabrics, she looked slightly bemused at first but could late be seen chatting animatedly with Ms Wintour.
At the end of the show she clapped briefly, but politely, as the fashion crowd whooped and cheered the designer.
Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council (BFC), then took to the floor to address the audience from the runway, saying: "I would like to formally welcome Her Majesty The Queen to London Fashion Week.
"Your Majesty, it is a true honour to have you here and to have your support for British fashion."
She described the Queen as being a fashion icon, who challenged many of the 'norms' when she came to the throne by what she wore, saying: "Throughout your reign you have embraced fashion, using its power of diplomacy to communicate understanding between cultures and nations.
"Having visited the exhibition of your wardrobe at Buckingham Palace, we learnt that you had to challenge some of the norms, some of the dress codes that had been designed for men, making us in awe of how you have reflected the changes in our society.
"As our monarch you have worked with incredible designers, highlighted great crafts associated with our industry such as millinery, textiles and embroidery.
"Your Majesty, I know that you do not wish to be known as a fashion icon, but for all of us in this room, who have the utmost respect for you, and also for the hard work, diligence, cultural impact of our industry, we know that you undoubtedly are."
Queen Elizabeth II awards designer Richard Quinn the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II award for British Design. Photo / Getty Images
She then invited the Queen to present her inaugural award to London-born Richard Quinn.
Taking to the catwalk to address the audience, the Queen said: "It is a great pleasure to be here at London Fashion Week today.
"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."
Afterwards Richard Quinn described the award as an 'absolute honour' and said he was touched that her first visit to London Fashion Week had been to his show.
"It was really surreal when I looked at the seats before the show and saw the seats and the blue cushion there. I hit me that 'oh, this isn't a prank!' It was really nice, though. It is a real privilege for me.
"The Queen is just iconic. She was, I believe, the first female Royal to wear trousers. So she is cutting edge in her own right.
"There was actually a nod to her in my collection with the use of Balmoral scarves and colour."
Asked who he would like to design for, Mr Quinn admitted it would be new Royal fiancé Meghan Markle.
"I think she's at the head of that new age of royals," he said. "I don't think she could ask for me to make her wedding dress though."
Asked about the Queen's visit, Carole Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council, said: "She was particularly keen to hear from the jewellery designers about where they make it and the craftsmanship.
"She was also asking them about how difficult it is to run a business, but they told her that desire to create keeps getting them up in the morning.
"There was an imperfect diamond that caught her eye. She was saying how interesting it was that imperfect diamonds were being used when traditionally it was a desire for perfect ones."
Caroline Rush, Queen Elizabeth II and Anna Wintour attend the Richard Quinn show during London Fashion Week. Photo / Getty Images
She added: "London Fashion Week is know globally for its creativity and a lot of that comes from our emerging talent. That's why it is so amazing for the Queen to want to recognise it and create an award to be given annually is incredibly significant.
"A lot of people look to our royal family for style. Using their profile to promote British businesses is amazing and always looking so impeccable with their own style means they are fantastic ambassadors for our industry."
She made a beeline for Harvy Santos, a 'new wave' hat maker who had created a crown out of leather and studs based on Queen Victoria's travelling crown.
He was shaking as he met the monarch and said afterwards: "I just couldn't believe it. I took my hat off and barely knew what to say. But she was just lovely."
Philippine-born Mr Santos, 43, a former ballet dancer continued: "She was just lovely and so softly spoken. She was interested in my crown and what inspired me. I also told her about my former career as a dancer and she joked 'that must have been quite a leap'.
"I thought I was the only Queen here but I have been dethroned today! I couldn't have been happier about it."
Mr Santos said his design had a slight S&M influence but he had been more inspired to make a crown that 'ordinary people could wear'.
She also admired the eye-catching rings made and modelled by Sari Rathel of Rathel Wolf, some of which measured the length of her fingers.
Caroline Rush, Queen Elizabeth II, Anna Wintour and royal dressmaker Angela Kelly attend the Richard Quinn show during London Fashion Week. Photo / Getty Images
"I'm just shaking," she said, "she peppered me with questions and asked if this was the way that people were wearing them these days. She seemed genuinely excited and interested."
The first recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Award was British fashion designer Richard Quinn, whose runway show the Queen watched today.
Quinn is an emerging talent within the United Kingdom who has been recognised for his exceptional prints.
Already supplying leading stores around the world, he has also set up a print studio which offers high quality, accessible services to students and his emerging designers.
The Queen Elizabeth II Award is the brainchild of one of the Queen's closest confidantes, Angela Kelly, Personal Advisor to Her Majesty (The Queen's Wardrobe), who has been working on designing an award which The Queen wanted to give in recognition of emerging British fashion talent for the past two years.
Why Anna Wintour never removes her trademark sunglasses
American Vogue editor and fashion legend Anna Wintour, 68, is known for never taking off her trademark sunglasses.
As well as wearing them in the Vogue offices, she is regularly seen sporting them on the catwalk, and even watched the entire Oscars in 2015 without taking them off.
One of the only times the British-American fashion legend, who has worked for Vogue for 30 years, has been seen taking them off is when she was made a Dame at Buckingham Palace in 2017.
She wore her trademark sunglasses on arrival at the Palace, but removed them before entering the ballroom, where she received the award from the Queen.
During her '60 minutes with Anna Wintour' interview, the American editor admitted she used her sunglasses as 'armour', and they were a useful tool to 'hide boredom'.
"I can sit in a show and if I am bored out of my mind, nobody will notice… At this point, they have become, really, armour", she said in 2012.
Should Anna Wintour have removed her glasses?
Etiquette expert William Hanson said: "The Queen of Fashion meets The Queen, but sadly has got it wrong here. Whilst Anna Wintour's fashion choices usually are faultless her etiquette today is far from on trend.
"Sunglasses are outdoor accessories and should always be removed when indoors - even if they are your trademark. For a start, you don't need them indoors, and secondly it's just plain rude to shield the eyes - an exception to Ms Wintour's trademark shades should have been made when in the presence of Her Majesty.
"That said, Ms Wintour managed to comply with good manners last night at a reception at Buckingham Palace with Their Royal Highnesses The Duchess of Cambridge and Countess of Wessex by removing her sunglasses but lapsed today at Richard Quinn.
"The Queen won't have commented to Ms Wintour or any of Her Majesty's staff but I am sure, internally, she thought the behaviour somewhat odd."
