Elizabeth and Shane bowl over capital

She is best known for wearing “that dress” and for her role as fembot Vanessa Kensington in the Austin Powers films.

But last night actress and swimwear designer Elizabeth Hurley visited Jenners department store in Edinburgh with her “big blond fiancé”, the Aussie cricketing legend Shane Warne, to publicise Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

A crowd of around 200 people braved the drizzle to await the couple who appeared at the entrance of the store heralded by a pink-kilted piper.

Wearing a pink cocktail dress, Hurley, “spokesmodel” for cosmetics brand Estee Lauder who are running the campaign, told the crowd “This is a very special day, it’s the first time I’ve been to Edinburgh. I’m thrilled to be here.”

Turning to Warne, 42, who appeared a bit startled by the number of cameras directed at him in his role of consort, Hurley continued: “I want to thank my fiancé Shane for being here with me and he is going to help me do the countdown.”

Hurley then began a countdown from ten downwards with Warne and the crowd joining in.

As the pink lights were switched on, lighting up the exterior of the famous department store, a cascade of pink rose petals were released down on to Princes Street.

Among the crowd were Leanne and Andrew Dowling from Melbourne who caught Warne’s attention by shouting “Go Sainters”. Other Australian fans shouting “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” were rewarded with a wide grin from Warne.

Mrs Dowling, 50, a medical receptionist, said: “We were just walking about and saw all the paparazzi. Shane barracks for (supports) our football team back home. It’s called St Kilda and he’s one of the number-one ticket holders because he used to play football for the under-19s before he took up cricket.”

“Wow,” sighed financial advisor Kamron Hayat, one of just two men in the 50-strong queue to meet the 46-year-old actress.

He said: “I’m hoping she might agree to get her picture taken with me. That’ll be one to show the lads on Facebook.”

At lunchtime Hurley, who was seen sporting a very large sapphire and diamond ring, made one of the first public appearances since her engagement to Warne in St Andrews last weekend.

It is understood Warne proposed just before a Dunhill dinner at the prestigious Old Course Hotel in the Fife town.

An area of the store had been decked out with pink carpet and pink roses to mark the event. Scores of other onlookers peering over the balconies on Jenners’ upper floors heard Hurley speaking about her involvement with the campaign.

She said: “I have known a lot of people who have had breast cancer and they are not all here today. However, some of them have survived. I lost my grandmother to breast cancer and at one point, I had five or six friends – all of them mothers – who all had breast cancer.

“They survived and that is because they picked up the illness early through self-examination.”