Arriving at Government House on Thursday morning in a humble Holden Caprice rather than his usual gold-plated Rolls-Royce, the Sultan of Brunei was warmly welcomed by Governor-General Quentin Bryce who later quizzed him on his travel arrangements to Australia.
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"I understand you flew yourself here in your plane," she asked the monarch.
The Sultan just laughed politely.
"That's what everybody talks about," the Governor-General told him, with a laugh.
His Majesty is licensed to pilot his own plane and it's understood he was behind the controls of the Airbus A340 which landed in Canberra on Wednesday, for his three-day visit to the national capital.
Ms Bryce invited the sultan, one of the world's richest men, to Canberra after visiting his oil-rich nation last year.
She and her husband Michael greeted him at the front steps of Government House as the Sultan was chauffeured in his regulation ComCar, tricked up with a Brunei flag on the bonnet and No.1 number plate.
The Governor-General welcomed him to Canberra with a warm smile and a friendly "come on in out of the wind".
Later inside, she told the monarch she had been anticipating his visit for some time and "the opportunity to return the hospitality".
"I had the warmest, happiest memories of my visit to Brunei last year and I'm delighted that you could be here at this time which is significant for your country as you prepare for ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nation]," she told him.
The 66-year-old sultan said little in front of the media but said he appreciated very much the Governor-General's words.
Despite the chilly wind, Canberra turned on a picture-perfect autumn day for the visit which is being covered by travelling Brunei media. Lake Burley Griffin was sparkling in the sun, autumn leaves were strewn across the lush green lawns and the cockatoos were squawking in the trees, competing with the national anthems being played.
Smoke hung in the air over the lake as a traditional 21-gun salute was conducted by Australian Defence Force personnel from Weston Park.
The sultan inspected Australia's Federation Guard and the Royal Military College Band, Duntroon.
He stood on a raised podium to receive the royal salute.
Later standing beside him in her plum-coloured heels, Ms Bryce was just a smidge taller than the monarch in his traditional songkok cap.
Among those selected to greet the sultan in an official party were Labor MLA Mary Porter and ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries.
More than 30 year nine students from St Margaret's school in Melbourne picked a good day to visit Government House, seeing all the pageantry first-hand and giving their iPhones a real work-out.
"It's very exciting," teacher Cheryl O'Gallagher said. "We're very privileged to see an even like this, something they wouldn't have experienced before."
After lunch at Government House, the sultan will join Chief Minister Katy Gallagher at the National Arboretum Canberra on Thursday afternoon for a tree planting ceremony.
In the first ceremony for the year and since the arboretum was officially opened in February, the sultan is expected to plant in the Central Valley area a Windmill palm, which, once mature, will stand up to 20-metres tall on a single stem.
The sultan is then due to meet with Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Friday.
