The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George arrived in Canberra on Sunday night for a day of rest at Government House before their next official engagement, a trip to Uluru on Tuesday.
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The family arrived via an RAAF plane and were greeted at the Fairbairn Air Force base by dignitaries including the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove, Chief Minister Katy Gallagher, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop and Member for Fraser, Andrew Leigh, who was representing the Leader of the Opposition.
Two hundred onlookers who had won their place in ballot had to wait a bit longer than expected for a glimpse of the family, after the estimated 5.10pm arrival was pushed back to after 5.30pm.
Two to three people deep behind barricades, they clutched bouquets of flowers and stuffed animals in anticipation, but the family did not meet any of the fans, instead whisking baby George out of the cold night air and into a waiting car.
Catherine would have been feeling the chill too, opting not to wear a jacket over her cobalt blue dress as the temperature dropped to 11 degrees.
Eight year old Ilaria Triunfo, dressed in a tiara for the royal occasion, had a copy of the book "Womba The Wombat" to gift Prince George with a little stuffed wombat.
Her mum, Amanda Triunfo, is a keen follower of all the European royals, and jumped at the chance to enter the ballot.
"I was buying a present in Smiggle and I yelled down the shop ... when I got the call," she said.
After the crowd had to settle just for waves from the royals from about 25 metres away, Ilaria might have to take a leaf out of six-year-old Samantha Hend’s book and mail it to the Prince.
Samantha, a Lyneham Public School student was chosen to present flowers to the family after the six year old wrote to Their Royal Highnesses, inviting them to visit Canberra and see her school classroom.
“She really likes princes and princesses and decided to write a letter,” dad Shane Hend said.
“She did it on her summer break down at the coast as a bit of an activity and she posted the letter herself, and was just thrilled when she got a reply back in the mail,” mum Annetta Hend said.
While Canberra made it on to the royals’ tour itinerary, their response indicated they would not stop at Samantha’s north-side classroom.
The family headed straight to Government House from Fairbairn, where they will stay while in the capital.
They have no official engagements in the city until after a trip to Uluru and Adelaide on Tuesday and Wednesday.
When they return, they will plant a tree at the National Arboretum on Thursday 24th April, and attend Anzac Day commemorations on Friday and plant a Lone Pine at the Australian War Memorial.
