Prince William says he and his wife, Kate, are "delighted" to be in Canada and excited to start their nine-day tour of the country.

"We've been looking forward to this moment for a very long time and before we were married we had a longing to come here together," William said in a short address at Rideau Hall in front of thousands of onlookers, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Gov. Gen David Johnston.

"The geography of Canada is unsurpassed and famous for only being matched by the hospitality of its peoples."

Prince William started his speech in French, later joking that his French would improve.

Canada's official welcome for the couple included a 21-gun salute, the playing of the Canadian anthem and speeches from Johnston and Harper.

"Let me begin with heartfelt congratulations on your recent marriage," Harper said. "For Canadians your marriage heralds a rich future for the long and deep relationship we share with the Crown."

Harper said he regretted he could not attend their wedding due to the timing of the federal election campaign, but said he and his wife watched the wedding from a hotel room in Montreal on the election trail.

"Welcome to Canada, the honeymoon capital of the Commonwealth," Johnston said in his greeting.

And if the royal couple was delighted to be in Canada, many Canadians were even more delighted to have them, as the couple was greeted by screams and cheers normally left to pop singers like Justin Bieber.

The newlyweds' first official stop Thursday was at the National War Memorial for a wreath-laying, book-signing and walkabout, where they were joined by Harper and his wife Laureen.

After a solemn ceremony, the royal couple spoke to veterans who had gathered there. They then moved on to where the crowd had gathered behind security gates to shake hands and meet ordinary Canadians who had come to greet them. Some in the crowd gave gifts to the royal couple.

Thousands of adoring onlookers lined up along the memorial square. The crowd went for blocks down to adjacent Elgin Street, past the National Arts Centre.

By the time the couple were done greeting those in the crowd, they were 10 minutes late for their next appearance.

The royal couple then went to Rideau Hall where they were greeted by Johnston and another large crowd of onlookers, numbering in the thousands. Once again the couple took the time to shake hands and greet their admirers.

Later on Thursday evening, the royal couple attended an event to celebrate young Canadians that had to be delayed and moved into the Tent Room at the Governor General's residence due to rain.

About 100 young Canadians were selected to attend to honour their community service. Three young women and two men ranging in age from 17 to 31 were selected to form the receiving line to greet the royal couple, the Harpers, Johnston and his wife, Sharon.

Each took time to speak one-by-one with the greeters and an aide, 18-year-old Taylor Quinn from B.C., told them when it was time to move on.

Kate, wearing a black and white dress and black espadrilles, and the prime minister were then escorted to a round table where they chatted with a small group and William and the Governor General were escorted to a different table to mingle.

The menu for the casual reception featured ingredients harvested from all corners of Canada and was prepared by a team of chefs.

The couple arrived in Ottawa just after 2 p.m. local time on a Canadian Forces plane in bright sunshine, warm temperatures and a slight breeze and were greeted on the tarmac by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, other dignitaries and Mounties in their traditional red serge uniforms.

William was dressed in a blue suit and red tie, while Kate wore a knee-length print dress with nude stilettoes and a matching handbag and her flowing, brown hair pinned back.

The Cecile dress is from Canadian fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu's pre-spring 2012 collection. Montreal-born Moralioglu, who is based out of London, U.K., earned his fashion degree at Ryerson University in Toronto and was born in Montreal.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson was among those who met the royal couple on the tarmac.

"It was very, very exciting," he told CTV News Channel. "They're a very gracious couple."

He said he thanked Prince William for choosing Ottawa for his first official visit, and noted the intense international media spotlight that he and his wife have turned onto the city.

"It's a very honoured experience but also humbling. They're a wonderful young couple."

Royal watchers from around the country arrived bright and early Thursday morning in Ottawa to stake their claims to viewing spots near the War Memorial and at Rideau Hall.

Many in the crowd are there to see Catherine Middleton, and in particular, see what she is wearing.

The Duchess of Cambridge was spotted wearing a navy blazer from the Canadian label Smythe as she and William boarded the plane Thursday in London.

The royal visit is the couple's first official overseas trip since their wedding in April. Like their nuptials, the tour has drawn the relentless attention of the international media.

More than 1,300 journalists have been accredited to cover the royal tour, including more than 200 from countries other than Canada -- far more than the 20 foreign journalists who came along for the Queen's visit to Canada last summer.

William and Kate's visit will also coincide with Parliament Hill's Canada Day celebrations on Friday, a time when hotel space in Ottawa is already at a premium.

The royal couple's presence is expected to draw even larger-than-usual crowds to the annual celebration.

Organizers hurriedly rushed around Ottawa on Thursday morning in preparation for the big welcome.

At Rideau Hall, gardeners were busy beautifying the grounds, while chefs sliced and diced mountains of vegetables and prepared heaps of pastries for the reception.

Leading the merriment is Gov. Gen. David Johnston, who met the royal newlyweds after their wedding in April.

Johnston told CTV's Canada AM that he's still impressed by couple's good nature and believes Canadians appreciate "their naturalness, their warmth, their sense of presence in the most attractive way."

He added that the visit will go down in history books as an important symbol of the constitutional monarchy.

Though the royal tour has involved massive preparations, Johnston says the down-to-earth couple hasn't made any extravagant demands.

"The needs of this young couple are very simple," he said, adding that the couple's only desire is to see Canada.

Ottawa preps for international exposure

Meanwhile, on Parliament Hill, Canada is getting ready to be seen.

Workers have been readying the Canada Day stage for Friday's celebrations, erecting fences around the stage's perimeter. TV hosts also milled about the area, rehearsing for the festivities which are expected to draw hordes of people to the nation's capital.

Marie Lemay, CEO of the National Capital Commission, said the nation's capital is ready for the crowds, and more importantly, ready for their close up.

"We're looking forward to welcoming the Duke and Duchess on behalf of all Canadians," Lemay told CTV's Canada AM.

"We're trying to put on the best show possible in an opportunity to showcase our country to the entire world."

While most Canadians will be resigned to watching the royal visit on television, a batch of lucky young Canadians has been selected to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at a barbeque event on Thursday.

Young entrepreneur Matthew Hudson is one of 100 Canadian youth handpicked for a chance to rub elbows with William and Kate.

Hudson, who runs a company that uses artificial intelligence to make solar power more efficient, was given the opportunity by the Canadian Youth Business Foundation.

Though selected for being a young business luminary, the prospect of meeting the Duchess of Cambridge leaves Hudson tongue-tied.

"I'm married so I can't lose it too much," he told CTV's Canada AM. "I think I'll have to control myself."

Tour seen as Middleton's Canadian debut

Royal tours are often seen as an opportunity to showcase Canada world stage. But as royal biographer Andrew Morton points out it will be William and Kate — not Canada — under the most scrutiny.

In June 1983, Canadians were whipped into a frenzy when Prince Charles and Princess Diana arrived for their first visit to Canada.

Journalists criticized the young Diana for not speaking publically during that tour. Similarly, Middleton does not have any scheduled speeches during the royal visit.

Morton said he expects that the newly dubbed Duchess of Cambridge, will receive just as much attention as Diana did almost 30 years ago.

"Royal men are judged by what they say, royal women are judged by what they look like," Morton told CTV's Canada AM.

International media is expected to follow the royals around for most of the nine-day tour, which features at least one stop in every region of the country.

On Friday, the royal couple will attend Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill. Homegrown musical talent like Newfoundland band Great Big Sea and Quebec's Sam Roberts Band will be on display.

After Ottawa, William and Kate will head to Quebec, where a separatist group called the Quebec Resistance Network is planning a protest against the monarchy.

The royal couple then plans to head east to Charlottetown. Twenty-four hours later they'll be in the Northwest Territories before finishing the tail end of their Canadian tour in Calgary.

In a Harris-Decima poll conducted for The Canadian Press, 77 per cent of respondents said they were aware that William and Kate were visiting Canada. A similar survey the previous year found only 55 per cent of respondents aware of the Queen's impending visit.

With files from The Canadian Press