The Duchess of Cambridge set foot on Australian soil for the first time on Wednesday, to the delight of around 200 locals and travellers, as she jetted home from her Diamond Jubilee tour with the Duke.
Kate and William created a stir at Brisbane airport when, after entering the international terminal building, they walked through a public area of the departure lounge on their way to a VIP suite to await their connection to London.
The couple had arrived in a chartered plane from the tiny nation of Tuvalu, wrapping up their nine-day tour of South-East Asia and the South Pacific on behalf of the Queen.
The pair arrive for a refueling stop before flying back to the UK
Five television crews and around a dozen photographers were there to capture the small moment of history.
The Duchess looked relaxed in a light, floral-patterned, summer dress by Erdem and beige patent heels when she first set foot on the tarmac and a tanned William was equally casual in a jacket and white shirt which was unbuttoned at the neck.
The trip has been seen as a great success but was overshadowed by the media furore over the publication of topless photos taken of Kate during a holiday at a private estate in southern France.
The couple yesterday succeeded in getting an injunction from a French court which has stopped France's Closer magazine from printing further intimate images of the Duchess or selling them.
The royals are also awaiting a decision from France's criminal prosecutors about whether they will bring criminal charges against the photographer who took the pictures.
Kate and Wills stop over at Brisbane airport
A source summed up how the issue had affected the couple, saying: "From their point of view they were angry when they heard about the photos but once they took the decision to pursue a civil and then criminal action, they were able to put the matter behind them. Since they set the ball rolling it's now down to the law to take its course."
The source added: "They had one objective to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee it's not for us to judge whether that was a success or not, from their point of view they felt able to do her life, and the diversity of the nations she represents, justice."
The Tribunal de Grande Instance in Nanterre, Paris, ordered France's Closer magazine to hand over all copies of the images it published last week and banned their resale.
The ruling only affects the French magazine and does not to extend to publications in Ireland and Italy which have also used the pictures.
It also prevents French Closer, which is run by a different company to the British version, from using the photos on its website and tablet application
After coming up an escalator into the airport's departure area the couple waved to travellers and looked up to wave at members of the public standing behind glass on a viewing platform on the next floor up.
Among those taking pictures of the Duchess was Australian Shelley Jelonek, 35, who was also on her way to London.
She said: "She looked amazing, she is so graceful. It's really impressive that they came up through the normal terminal. I have even more respect for them now."
A jet carrying Prince William and Catherine arrives for a refueling stop in Brisbane
Members of her family had come to the airport to see her off, including her nephew Cameron Young, 11, who had taken the day off school, though Shelley said it was "mainly because of the Duke and Duchess" he had taken the day off. He thought the Duke was "really cool", she said.
"The kids were really excited to see real royalty in real life," she added.
"The Royal family is going through a real resurgence in popularity here and it's mainly because of those two."
Deanna Bryant, 37, who was seeing off her British mother-in-law at the airport, said: "It's really nice for people in Australia that she is here, even if it's only briefly.
"There has been a lot of reporting here about the fact that they were coming to Brisbane, and it's nice that we've been able to see them. We got a good view of the Duchess as she came up the escalator, she looked lovely. She always looks so comfortable and elegant."
