Royal Tour 2014: Is the Duchess of Cambridge the only person ever to climb into a fighter jet wearing a dress and high heels?

The Duchess of Cambridge boarded the RAAF Super Hornet as the Royal couple continued their tour of Australasia

She is one of the most photographed women in the world and always looks camera-ready.

The Duchess of Cambridge was attired in a typically glamorous dress and matching high heels as she and her husband continued their tour of Australasia – but that didn’t stop her taking control of a fighter plane.

Kate relegated Prince William to the back seat as she climbed into the pilot’s chair of an RAAF Super Hornet of 1 Squadron at the Royal Australian Airforce Base at Amberley, near Brisbane.

Let the woman wear trousers, you cry. But no need – Kate has proven herself a pro at getting stuck in while wearing clothes more suited to an observer at the sidelines. So far during the tour she has been pictured running along a sandy beach, standing on a cliff and playing cricket – all while teetering at a 45 degree angle. 

William, who had already taken a turn, had asked his wife whether she might “fancy jumping in in the back”. But Kate was not about to miss an opportunity to admire the plane’s multimillion-pound cockpit.

Stephen Chappell, Commanding Officer of Number 1 Squadron, whose pilots fly the Super Hornet, said Kate was fascinated by the “dials and gadgets” on the fighter aircraft.

He remarked there was some “bi-play between the two as to who was sitting in what seat”.

During the visit the Duke and Duchess spent some private time with the relatives of four Australian servicemen who lost their lives in recent conflicts.

They met the family of Lance Corporal Stjepan “Rick” Milosevic, Trooper David Pearce, and Private Matthew Lambert, who were all killed in Afghanistan, and Flight Lt Paul Pardoel, who died in Iraq.

They spent about 10 minutes privately chatting to the relatives before moving on to a reception with veterans and their families.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Air Commodore Tim Innes, Senior Air Force Officer at RAAF Amberley, said the meeting would mean much to families still struggling with an enormous sense of loss.

He said: “That's an extremely important point about the visit. That is a big part of why they are visiting the base - to honour those fallen and those who made a sacrifice in Afghanistan and other conflicts around the globe.”

Additional reporting by agencies