While many in our nation solemnly marked Good Friday, residents of Manly in NSW (and quite a few thousand tourists) were doing what they do best - hanging out on the beach - when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wandered on to the sand opposite the Manly Pacific Hotel.
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The duchess was perched so high on wedges that some in the crowd feared for her safety. But she did not embrace the beach girl ethos and go shoeless.
The last time a royal went beach boy, her father-in-law Prince Charles wore boardshorts to a Perth beach in 1979 and was kissed by a local for his trouble.
It was a beach perfect afternoon: 25 degrees, pleasant one-metre turquoise autumn waves that seemed to change to royal blue with shade from Norfolk pines creeping across the sand.
Manly turned into a budgie smuggler's paradise for the occasion.
And not just because Manly Sluggos purveyor, Budgie Smugglers, had run up Union Jack-patterned togs and a tiny costume for Prince George. Rather the pride of local Surf Life Saving Club members performed relays and board races for the royal couple.
They were escorted on to the beach by the Prime Minister and the Premier, and Mr Abbott accompanied the prince to meet nippers and lifesavers while the princess seemed to eschew walking on the sand as much was possible.
Earlier, lifeguards had put up ''Danger strong current'' signs to keep visitors from getting into trouble in the water.
Apart from the locals, the Manly crowd was full of English people suffering in the sun. It was no accident Manly was chosen to introduce the royals to beachdom.
Certainly there were reasons of history: Tommy Tanna introduced body surfing to Australia at the southern end in front of the Manly Surf Life Saving Club in the late 1890s.
