William, Kate and George Arrive in Australia!
They've arrived! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George touched down at Sydney Airport this afternoon to begin their tour of Australia.
Following a successful tour of New Zealand, the royals will be looking forward to meeting locals, supporting organisations and seeing the sights. If the response they received in New Zealand is anything to go by, their tour of Australia is set to be a memorable one.
Kate held George as they disembarked from the plane.
The royals were greeted by officials. The Governor-General's wife Lynne shared a light moment with George shaking the eight-month-old's hand.
Prince George looked wide awake and waved his arms around as William held him while Kate accepted flowers.
The Duke and Duchess headed straight to the Sydney Opera House for a reception.
Crowds waiting outside the Opera House for the royals.
Tim Ewart Twitter Feed
The reception was hosted by the Governor-General. The event was scheduled to be co-hosted by the Premier of New South Wales, however, it's been quite a day. Premier Barry O' Farrell resigned from his position, claiming a "massive memory fail", after misleading an anti-corruption inquiry over a $3,000 bottle of wine. It was unclear until the last minute whether or not he would meet the royal couple.
Prince William gave a short speech to mark the start of Their Royal Highnesses' visit to Australia:
'Australia's contribution to the ongoing search for MH370 has earned respect in every corner of the globe. Australia's determined and leading role in the search is at the very edge of technological ability and human endurance.'
William also referenced his mother and Prince George:
'My mother's deep affection for Australia - which you were so kind to reciprocate - needs no reminder.I don't think I could finish without mentioning one other family member, George, who is now busy forging his own link with Australia. Catherine and I were very grateful for the many kind messages and gifts we received from across the world when George was born. I suspect George's first word might be bilby - only because koala is harder to say. We really look forward to our time together here as a family.'
William and Kate on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre. Situated on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the facility is adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens. Designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon, it was formally opened in October 1973 after a gestation beginning with Utzon's 1957 selection as winner of an international design competition. The government's decision to use Utzon's design has often been overshadowed by cost and the architect's ultimate resignation. It is a stunning piece of architecture.
Wikipedia
The couple met with locals.
From the Opera House, the royal party travelled by boat across to Admirality House.
The royals will stay there for the first half of their visit, at the invitation of the Governor-General.
Wikipedia
Admirality House shared this photo of the trio with Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove. George looked very pleased with his gift.
Kate was a ray of sunshine in a vivid yellow dress by London based Serbian designer Roksanda Ilincic.
The colour was very much an appropriate choice - one of Australia's colours. The dress is thought to be a bespoke version of the brand's Ryedale Wool-Crepe Dress with the colours reversed. The €1,093 dress is currently available at Matches.
Matches
From the product description:
'Paintings from Brazilian artists such as Héllio Oiticia informed Roksanda Ilincic's SS14 runway show. The Ryedale Wool-Crepe Dress shows just how beautifully such influences were interpreted. It features a bell-sleeved silhouette.'
This screenshot offers a look at the back of the dress (and a tender moment between the couple).
Roksanda Ilincic is very much known for incorporating colour blocking into her versatile and effortlessly elegant pieces. We see this demonstrated in the Laser-Cut Neoprene Dress, Colour-Block Dress, Oriel Dress and the Bronte Paneled Dupion Dress.
Kate's much-loved L.K. Bennett Sledge Pumps made their tour debut today (despite Daily Mail claims to the contrary).
The £195 patent leather platform shoes have been a staple in Kate's wardrobe since the royal wedding and a great choice with the yellow dress. They're available on the L.K. Bennett website in a number of colours and Nordstrom with Free Shipping.
Spalsh/Annoushka/Mappin and Webb
The Duchess wore her hair half up - half down, a style she is becoming very fond of during this tour.
It was a stellar look for the Duchess and how lovely to see some sunshine after the rain in New Zealand. I expect Kate's wardrobe will be quite different in Australia and I do hope we see more looks like this one.
What do you think? Kate told a lady in the crowd William thought she "looked like a banana". (Oh William :)).
Prince George's nanny Maria was photographed holding his Kangaroo Backpack. It's still available for $14.95.
You can watch videos from the arrival and reception at 7 News.
Tomorrow's schedule:
- The Duke and Duchess will visit the Blue Mountains, to the west of Sydney.
- The royals will meet some of the families affected by the bushfires which swept through the area in October last year. Afterwards, they will attend an event with residents and community groups.
- William and Kate plan to see the natural beauty of the Blue Mountains for themselves.
A quick reminder, we've updated our Royal Tour Clock to reflect Sydney local time. As we enter the second phase of the tour, we want to thank everyone for reading and commenting and welcome our new visitors to the site, we do hope you enjoy your visit :)
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