Prince William and Kate Middleton greet excited crowds

Today eight residential trainees were lucky enough to be presented graduation certificates by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in a low-key, rather intimate ceremony watched by a hundred or so locals.

After receiving her certificate from The Duchess, Jasmine Jingles, 19, a food and beverage graduate of Mornington Island, Queensland, said she was thrilled. “It’s amazing, deadly as,” she said.

Francis Oba, 23, of the Torres Strait, who studied housekeeping, was wished good luck for his future by Prince William. Clutching his certificate, he said: “This is really great … we’re touched they came so far to be here.”

Then it was time for gifts and Sherelle Young’s chance to be in the spotlight. Sherelle gave the Duchess a bracelet made from seeds and hand painted by the students. The Duchess immediately put the bracelet on – much to Sherelle’s delight.

The Duke, dressed casually in an open-necked shirt, his sleeves rolled up, was presented with a two-metre hand-carved hunting spear by Hector Burton. The spear was made from a special light weight timber and bound with kangaroo sinew. “Hector suggested that Prince William might like to give his brother Harry some lessons in spear throwing,” the Academy’s General Manager Marea Moulton told The Weekly.

For the second time in Australia, Kate stepped out in a dress by London designer Roksanda Ilincic. The filmy taupe dress was a perfect fit for the 31-degree temperature.

Pointing to a map of indigenous lands in Australia, Misty Smith, 18, showed the couple where her country was near Dubbo in central western NSW. The visit has generated huge interest among the local Anangu people, the traditional owners of the rock, evoking memories of the sentimental journey made there by Prince William’s parents, Charles and the then Princess Diana, in 1983 on their first trip to Australia together. Then a baby, Prince William accompanied them on the tour – but not to Uluru – and some of the traditional owners who will meet the Cambridges today are hoping that one day his son, George, will become the next king-in-waiting to see the rock.

After the ceremony, the couple moved towards the crowds of locals who were lining up to greet them. Amanda Bartels’ 10-month-old son Nathan immediately grabbed the Duchess’s new bracelet – a move reminiscent of Prince George. “It’s a good teething substitute,” said Catherine. Four-and- a-half-year-old Amelia Smulders gave Kate a bunch of flowers. “She said thank you for the lovely flowers. She was amazing, so beautiful. I said to her I can’t believe you’ve come to our part of Australia,” Amelia’s mum Alice told The Weekly.

Angelique Torr, 27, her daughter Geneva, 3, and son Memphis, 2, met Prince William and were delighted. “We are originally from Darwin and the Duke said he’d love to get to Darwin very soon adding: ‘It’s a bit hot’,” she told The Weekly.

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