The royal couple, who had left their three and a half month old son Prince George with a nanny at Kensington Palace, hopped on the bus crammed with fundraisers for the five-minute journey to their local Tube station.
They met forces personnel and local volunteers selling poppies at the station for London Poppy Day after earlier greeting Royal British Legion staff, helpers and supporters outside their home, Apartment 1A, at the palace.
Miss Windsor asked after baby George. 'He's half asleep,' said the Duchess, 31, gesturing inside. 'He's behaving himself this morning,' the Duke added.
The Duchess, wearing a fitted claret LK Bennett 'Ami' coat with black tights and court shoes to match the colours of the clutch of poppies she was wearing, followed the example of other famous mothers including Beyonce Knowles and Charlize Theron by giving herself a 'mummy makeover'.
Psychologists say women often feel the urge for a change of look because they feel the need to take back control over their bodies after having a baby.
She also revealed that she has had flying lessons. The Duchess, whose husband recently gave up his job as a helicopter pilot, and whose grandfather Peter was a pilot, told one wellwisher: 'My grandfather flew planes. I''ve had a few lessons on fixed wing.' Aides said they were unaware of her flying lessons.
Meanwhile the Duke told wellwishers he was missing flying search and rescue helicopters but was enjoying his more settled life in the 21-room apartment at Kensington Palace. 'It's quite nice being in one place,' he said.
The royal couple chatted to a grieving mother, Serena Alexander, 58, from Hammersmith, west London, who has received help from the Legion through the inquest process after her son, Marine Sam Alexander, a Military Cross winner, was killed by an improved explosive devicein Afghanistan in 2011. 'I'm so sorry to hear that,' said the Duchess.
The Duchess also met David Bower, a former seniot tailor in the Scots Guards who was helped by the Legion to retrain as a London taxi driver after he left the forces in 2005.
Mr Bower, 48, from Beckenham, Kent, told the Duchess about the stiff challenge of passing the Knowledge, the London taxi drivers' test of the capital's streets. 'The Knowledge? It's pretty tough, isn't it,' asked the Duchess, who no longer has to worry about using the capital's black cabs.
The royal couple also met singer Laura Wright and girl performers the Poppy Girls, who are singing in a series of concerts to help the Legion reach its nationwide target of rising £37 million from this year's poppy appeal.
They sympathised with Poppy Girl Charlotte Mellor, 17, from Wolverhampton, who was on crutches. 'I tore a ligament walking to McDonalds,' she told themn explaining she had got one foot caught up with another.
After meeting all in the line up, the couple got on the bus, sitting on opposite sides at the back downstairs with Barbara Windsor and TV newsreader Alastair Stewart and Major General Tim Chicken, coordinator of London Poppy Day.
'One more passenger please!' Barbara Windsor said, as William prepared to board the bus.
The Duke, who has rarely travelled on public transport, wondered about the pleasures of being crammed in with other passengers. 'It's very sociable,' he said, 'Although I suppose everyone's got their earphones in.'
As the bus emerged from a private road leading to the apartments at Kensington Palace, a crowd of tourists waved and took photos of the royal passengers, who waved back. 'Brilliant,' said William.
At the station amid the melee, he and Kate met forces personnel and volunteers spending two weeks selling remembrance poppies there. They had been told to expect visitors but many had not been told it would be the world's most famous couple. Chatting to RAf staff, William, laughing, compared buckets filled with money. 'His is heavier than yours,' he said to one.
He and Kate met rock guitarist RAF Corporal Steve Johnson, 37, from Newcastle, who was busking around London's Tube stations to raise cash for the appeal. 'Can you play something now?' Kate asked before thinking better of it. 'You'd better not. It's too crowded.
After the chaotic, 10-minute visit to the station, the royal couple got into a car for the short drive home.
Tourist Lisa Durchstecher, 24, from Hanover and her sister Sina, 22, reflected on their stroke of luck. They had just arrived at the station on their way to do the tourist tour of Kensington Palace
'We came from Germany to see Kensington Palace. This is a dream come true,' said Lisa. 'We were screaming. It was just a dream.'
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