The parents of Royal Wedding dress designer Sarah Burton have revealed how they first saw their daughter’s creation – by peering through a periscope.

Diana and Anthony Heard were among the crowds watching Kate Middleton emerge at Westminster Abbey in her stunning dress.

Their Manchester-educated daughter spent months keeping her dress design a closely-guarded secret.

And her parents, from Prestbury, near Macclesfield, told of their pride at the moment it was revealed.

Mrs Heard said: "We were on the Mall, at St James’s Park – we needed a periscope to see it but we were just blown away by the whole thing. The atmosphere was incredible, and it was our daughter's dress! We are so proud of Sarah – the whole family is. How do you top a commission like that? You simply can’t."

Sarah, 36, was born in Macclesfield Hospital and grew up in Prestbury, going to Withington Girls’ School in Manchester.

She went on to a foundation course at Manchester Metropolitan University before attending the prestigious Central St Martin’s College of Art and Design in London.

She joined Alexander McQueen’s company in 1997 as the designer’s personal assistant and was made creative director of the company last year, after McQueen’s suicide.

Her two brothers and sisters all went to London to watch the ceremony with mum and dad – joining hundreds and thousands of people crowding the Mall.

Mrs Heard said another big day for the family was Sarah’s own wedding – to photographer husband David Burton.

She was dressed in a specially-made McQueen creation, with the designer a special guest at St Peter’s Church in Prestbury.

Mrs Heard added: "Her own dress did have lace in it but it was very, very different from the royal dress."

The former music teacher, who is now an accountant alongside her husband, said her daughter was always a straight-A student and always shone at art – although her artistic streak does not run in the family.

Mrs Heard said: "She always loved fashion – although she definitely didn’t get her skill from me. Withington Girls’ School was very academic – not the best for fashion, but if you have the talent then you will shine.

"Her art teacher was great, her artwork was always on display. From when she was a little girl she said she wanted to be an artist. She has always been hugely determined – she knew from her foundation course that she wanted to do fashion."