Royals' guests tell of their time with the King and tea sent to sub crew by the Queen
Military personnel have been thanked for their service by the King and Queen during a special reception at Buckingham Palace.
The guests represented the range of military units with whom Charles and Camilla have a connection – and some had intriguing tales to tell about their royal hosts.
To maximise the time spent with guests, the royal couple conducted separate receptions in the throne rooms at the Palace.
There was a lively atmosphere with music from the Duchess of Edinburgh's String Orchestra providing a backdrop to vibrant conversation.
Throughout the evening, Charles and Camilla were laughing as they spoke to groups of personnel and their partners who had been invited to join them.
The King's reception consisted of 340 people, one of whom was Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Hitchins.
The Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment described the invitation as a "huge honour".
"I first met the King in 2006 before we deployed to Afghanistan and then when we returned," he explained.
"He did recognise me and said 'I think I've seen you before'.
"He must have a pretty good memory because I said 'I saw you nearly 20 years ago now' and [we] had a good chat about what's been going on since."
He added: "I brought my wife with me. She's been by my side since I joined, 20 years now."
The King has been Colonel in Chief of the Parachute Regiment for nearly 50 years and has completed the Army's parachute training course.
One of the guests, who spoke to BFBS Forces News at the reception, was Air Vice-Marshal Mick Smeath, the Commandant General of the RAF Regiment.
He said: "For the RAF Regiment it's a huge honour to have the sovereign as our Air Commodore in Chief.
"So to be able to come here tonight with our squadron commanders, our wing commanders and our warrant officers is an absolute honour and a privilege."
AVM Smeath explained how he introduced the King to RAF Regiment personnel, and said he was interested in hearing about their lives and their partners.
The Queen, meanwhile, hosted around 60 people, including submariners from HMS Astute.
Warrant Officer Danny Manifold said they spoke with the Queen about how she sent tea and shortbread to their 135-strong crew last year.
He said: "They were really well received on board.
"She writes at least once a year to us. Everyone really knows that she's really involved."
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