Last week Gemma Ward took the modelling world by storm with her surprise return to the catwalk, after a six-year hiatus following the death of rumoured boyfriend Heath Ledger. Her comeback  at Milan Fashion Week was watched from afar by her mother, Claire Ward, who said she became quite emotional. The 26-year-old Australian opened Prada's Spring/Summer 2015 show wearing a long navy coat and knee-high grey socks, causing a storm of support from critics and fans alike. 'I must admit I had a tear in my eye when she walked out,' Mrs Ward told The West Australian. Scroll down for video . The 26-year-old Australian opened Prada's Spring/Summer 2015 show wearing a long navy coat and knee-high grey socks, causing a storm of support from critics and fans alike. The model, who was named as the top ten highest earning model by Forbes in 2007 gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Naia, last year. 'I just felt really pleased for her. It was an important thing for her to come back: she loved modelling, she loves fashion and it just was the right time.' 'I'd spent a very anxious week leading up to it. The fashion industry is very fickle and you never really know.' Ward's return to the modelling world had been highly anticipated since she signed back on to the books of agency IMG Models. The Perth beauty has been modelling since she was 15, and was reportedly paid $20,000 per catwalk at the height of her career, walking for iconic brands including Calvin Klein, Burberry and Valentino. At the time of Heath Ledger's death, the pair were reported to have been dating, and Ward was seemingly shaken by his sudden demise from an accidental drug overdose. 'There was no one like him and no one will ever be like him.'I'm just so grateful I got to meet him and get as close as I did with him,' Ward said of Ledger . Ward took 'a break from the media spotlight for the past few years and it was something spurred by Heath's death.' '(Heath and I) first met in New York and we were both struggling with things that I won't get into, and we bonded over that,' Ward told The Herald Sun. 'There was no one like him and no one will ever be like him.'I'm just so grateful I got to meet him and get as close as I did with him.' For Ward, retreating from the world of modelling was a 'reassessment of everything...a commitment to myself to address some things that were coming up to do with Heath's passing and also things that were troubling me before we met.' 'So it was a retreat from many things in my life and I did think it was important for me to focus on those things.' 'I didn't know how long it would take. I didn't know if it would solve anything, but I set out to focus inside myself.' Despite the pain of losing Ledger, the model's mum knew it was only a matter of time before the flawless beauty was back. 'If the fashion industry embraces her like it did before, and if Gemma can work in a way that has some balance with family life and it doesn't get too frantic, I think it would be amazing,' said the model's mother . Despite the pain of losing Ledger, the model's mum knew it was only a matter of time before the flawless beauty was back. 'She got to see that if she chose to she could have a very normal life,' Mrs Ward said. 'I always knew she wanted to go back - she had unfinished business. It was kind of hard leaving when she did, she needed to go and spend some time for herself.' The model, who was named as the top ten highest earning model by Forbes in 2007 gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Naia, last year. 'She's always been very professional and now she's an adult, she's a mother and I think she really has grown into someone who can see the value of her work,'Mrs Ward said. 'If the fashion industry embraces her like it did before, and if Gemma can work in a way that has some balance with family life and it doesn't get too frantic, I think it would be amazing.' 'I think she has a voice now, she's a mature woman and is able to say no.' Ward's return to the catwalk saw many in the industry excited . 'The industry tells you that the life of a model is very short and you have to say yes to everything and, unfortunately, that's why girls maybe do things that they wouldn't do if they sat back and thought about it.' Since retiring in 2008, Ward has appeared in several films and plays, including a role in BAFTA-winning film The Black Balloon, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. 'It's nice to be in a position where you can pick and choose, which I think Gemma's been able to do. She's said no to an awful lot in the last number of years,' said Mrs Ward. 'Her partner (model David Letts) had never been to Europe before and it was his birthday the day before (the show), so she said 'even if it doesn't come off it'll be a beautiful experience for David on his birthday'.' Christine Fox, director of Vivien's Model Management, who first signed Ward in Perth, said she was 'very excited'. 'I think we were all quietly hoping she would make a comeback,' she said. 'Gemma's comeback could not have been planned any better with opening for Prada . . . she nailed it.'
Ward retired from modelling in 2008 after the sudden death of then-boyfriend Heath Ledger .
Has since starred in award-winning films including The Black Balloon, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and The Great Gatsby .
Mum Claire said she always knew the Aussie beauty would be back .
Last week Gemma Ward took the modelling world by storm with her surprise return to the catwalk, after a six-year hiatus following the death of rumoured boyfriend Heath Ledger. Her comeback  at Milan Fashion Week was watched from afar by her mother, Claire Ward, who said she became quite emotional. The 26-year-old Australian opened Prada's Spring/Summer 2015 show wearing a long navy coat and knee-high grey socks, causing a storm of support from critics and fans alike. 'I must admit I had a tear in my eye when she walked out,' Mrs Ward told The West Australian. Scroll down for video . The 26-year-old Australian opened Prada's Spring/Summer 2015 show wearing a long navy coat and knee-high grey socks, causing a storm of support from critics and fans alike. The model, who was named as the top ten highest earning model by Forbes in 2007 gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Naia, last year. 'I just felt really pleased for her. It was an important thing for her to come back: she loved modelling, she loves fashion and it just was the right time.' 'I'd spent a very anxious week leading up to it. The fashion industry is very fickle and you never really know.' Ward's return to the modelling world had been highly anticipated since she signed back on to the books of agency IMG Models. The Perth beauty has been modelling since she was 15, and was reportedly paid $20,000 per catwalk at the height of her career, walking for iconic brands including Calvin Klein, Burberry and Valentino. At the time of Heath Ledger's death, the pair were reported to have been dating, and Ward was seemingly shaken by his sudden demise from an accidental drug overdose. 'There was no one like him and no one will ever be like him.'I'm just so grateful I got to meet him and get as close as I did with him,' Ward said of Ledger . Ward took 'a break from the media spotlight for the past few years and it was something spurred by Heath's death.' '(Heath and I) first met in New York and we were both struggling with things that I won't get into, and we bonded over that,' Ward told The Herald Sun. 'There was no one like him and no one will ever be like him.'I'm just so grateful I got to meet him and get as close as I did with him.' For Ward, retreating from the world of modelling was a 'reassessment of everything...a commitment to myself to address some things that were coming up to do with Heath's passing and also things that were troubling me before we met.' 'So it was a retreat from many things in my life and I did think it was important for me to focus on those things.' 'I didn't know how long it would take. I didn't know if it would solve anything, but I set out to focus inside myself.' Despite the pain of losing Ledger, the model's mum knew it was only a matter of time before the flawless beauty was back. 'If the fashion industry embraces her like it did before, and if Gemma can work in a way that has some balance with family life and it doesn't get too frantic, I think it would be amazing,' said the model's mother . Despite the pain of losing Ledger, the model's mum knew it was only a matter of time before the flawless beauty was back. 'She got to see that if she chose to she could have a very normal life,' Mrs Ward said. 'I always knew she wanted to go back - she had unfinished business. It was kind of hard leaving when she did, she needed to go and spend some time for herself.' The model, who was named as the top ten highest earning model by Forbes in 2007 gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Naia, last year. 'She's always been very professional and now she's an adult, she's a mother and I think she really has grown into someone who can see the value of her work,'Mrs Ward said. 'If the fashion industry embraces her like it did before, and if Gemma can work in a way that has some balance with family life and it doesn't get too frantic, I think it would be amazing.' 'I think she has a voice now, she's a mature woman and is able to say no.' Ward's return to the catwalk saw many in the industry excited . 'The industry tells you that the life of a model is very short and you have to say yes to everything and, unfortunately, that's why girls maybe do things that they wouldn't do if they sat back and thought about it.' Since retiring in 2008, Ward has appeared in several films and plays, including a role in BAFTA-winning film The Black Balloon, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. 'It's nice to be in a position where you can pick and choose, which I think Gemma's been able to do. She's said no to an awful lot in the last number of years,' said Mrs Ward. 'Her partner (model David Letts) had never been to Europe before and it was his birthday the day before (the show), so she said 'even if it doesn't come off it'll be a beautiful experience for David on his birthday'.' Christine Fox, director of Vivien's Model Management, who first signed Ward in Perth, said she was 'very excited'. 'I think we were all quietly hoping she would make a comeback,' she said. 'Gemma's comeback could not have been planned any better with opening for Prada . . . she nailed it.'
after a six-year hiatus following the death of rumoured boyfriend Heath Ledger. Her comeback  at Ward said. 'I always knew she wanted to go back - BAFTA-winning film The Black Balloon, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. 'It's nice to be in