Prince William and Kate tried out their French in public and put on their best British charm for screaming Canadians as the royal newlyweds began their first official overseas trip.

Poised and confident, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they are formally known, thrilled the crowds yesterday with warm, unscripted gestures, wading into throngs of well-wishers to shake hands and accept flowers and other gifts.

To cheers of delight, William addressed his hosts in both English and French, then cracked a joke about his language skills.

"It will improve as we go on," the prince quipped, then noted how much he and Kate were "truly looking forward to this adventure."

"Catherine and I are so delighted to be here in Canada. Instilled in us by our parents and grandparents, who love this country, we have been looking forward to this moment for a very long time and before we were married, we both had a longing to come here together," he said at the residence of the governor general of Canada.

"They are beautiful together, like a fairy tale," gushed 15-year-old Daphnee Dubouchet-Olshesh, who was in the crowd with her mother.

"He just sounded so cute and adorable with his English accent. He did pretty good with his French." Brenda Hoerle, who drove six and half hours from Waterloo, Ontario, with her two daughters, agreed.

"He did wonderfully. His candor was very appealing to the crowd. He joked about the fact that his French will improve. That's what we look to see of the monarchy, to see that they are normal human beings," she said.

Kate's French also got a thumbs-up. Mayor Marc Bureau of Gatineau, Quebec, said he greeted the couple in French and Kate replied in French that it was a pleasure.

"I think French classes have served her well," he said. Arriving aboard a Canadian military plane, the couple were greeted by bright sunshine and stiff breezes along with dignitaries and cheering crowds of thousands.