Commando King! Charles takes a trip down memory lane on visit to a Royal Marine centre where he trained as a helicopter pilot in 1974

The King looked successful large spirits connected Friday arsenic helium returned to the Royal Marines grooming basal wherever helium completed his chopper aviator grooming 50 years ago.

Charles, 76, arrived astatine the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines successful Lympstone, adjacent Exeter, Devon, to conscionable palmy recruits and contiguous peculiar honours.

He attended the grooming centre 50 years ago, completing 3 days commando grooming determination arsenic portion of his aviator grooming successful 1974.

His Majesty was presented with a representation of himself tackling the precocious ropes astatine the grooming centre, portion helium watched recruits execute the aforesaid manoeuvre.

The King, who is Captain General of the Royal Marines, met his troops and presented the King's Badge and a Green Beret to 2 trainees, Osian Stephens from Colwyn, North Wales and Joseph Ryan from Merseyside.

It was the archetypal clip a king has presented the badge since his grandfather, King George VI, successful 1939. It is fixed to the enlistee deemed the astir awesome of those passing done training.

He besides met 100-year-old D-Day seasoned Norman Ashford, a coxswain connected a landing trade who did galore runs up Gold Beach.

Mr Ashford said: 'It was a large honour to conscionable the King, I haven't met royalty earlier and I conscionable turned 100 connected the 10th. It was a large pleasance to beryllium backmost astatine the Commando Training Centre.'

He added that helium spoke to the King astir wherever helium had landed connected D-Day and said helium hopes to spell to Normandy to people the commemoration again adjacent year.

Addressing the recruits, helium said: 'As your Captain General, I tin lone explicit my pridefulness successful each and each 1 of you, unneurotic with my admiration for passing specified a demanding course.

'We are fortunate so to beryllium capable to trust connected you, arsenic good arsenic connected those families present contiguous who truthful loyally enactment you.'

Marine Stephens, 20, was selected for the King's Badge aft completing his grooming contempt antecedently picking up a superior injury.

After 10 months recuperating, helium resumed his grooming this autumn and completed his last 5 weeks to gain the badge.

'This infinitesimal volition enactment with maine forever. I cognize the past clip a King presented the King's Badge was backmost successful 1939, it's rather daunting to deliberation that I volition beryllium lone the 2nd Royal Marine to bask that honour,' helium said.

'Definitely the hardest portion of my grooming was erstwhile I was injured, a existent daze to prime up a limb wounded aft doing truthful good for truthful long. But with determination I took the knock, got backmost up again and got myself backmost to wherever I wanted to be.'

Marine Ryan triumphed aft sustaining a lengthy enarthrosis wounded precocious successful grooming and spent 5 months recuperating and rehabilitating.

Marine Ryan, 20, received the Commando Medal for epitomising the commando tone and ethos done his conversion from civilian to Royal Marine.

To admit that achievement, helium was singled retired to person his greenish beret, the Commandos' headgear, from the King.

'Being presented my greenish beret by the King is amazing, honestly the biggest honour I could ever have. I'm precise alert that no-one successful the Royal Marines has had their beret presented by the monarch, I'm truthful proud. It is simply a large honour,' said Marine Ryan.

'The lads successful the unit person been brilliant, a truly large clump of guys, we've been done truthful overmuch successful the past fewer weeks together.'

It comes aft the King celebrated turning 76 connected Thursday by opening the archetypal of his 2 caller Coronation Food Hubs arsenic the Royal Family wished him a blessed birthday.

The monarch headed to Deptford successful South London to formally unveil the archetypal hub, circuit the centre with London Mayor Sadiq Khan and be a surplus nutrient festival.

The King appeared successful precocious spirits arsenic helium smiled and was fixed a buss by a worker. Royal superfan John Loughrey stood with a paper and bouquet of angiosperm for Charles, who was accompanied by Sir Kenneth Olisa, the Lord Lieutenant of Greater London.

Pupils from Rye Oak Primary School successful adjacent Peckham led the singing of blessed day for Charles, with six-year-old Zariah presenting the monarch with a card.

Project chairwoman Dame Martina Milburn, Baroness Louise Casey and different representatives of the charities progressive besides met Charles. Volunteers from the Felix Project, who volition tally the Deptford hub, waved flags and cheers arsenic the King arrived.

Thursday is the archetypal day of the motorboat of his Coronation Food Project which aims to span the spread betwixt nutrient request and nutrient discarded amid the cost-of-living crisis.

The King's engagement was a solo 1 - with Queen Camilla, who had hoped to articulation him, inactive recovering from a nasty thorax infection. He aboriginal virtually opened a 2nd hub successful Knowsley, Merseyside - with 3 much hubs owed unfastened successful the twelvemonth ahead.

Earlier successful the day, the monarchy's societal media accounts posted a day connection with a ceremonial representation of Charles successful the White Drawing Room astatine Buckingham Palace .

Prince William and Kate's relationship shared an representation of the relaxed-looking monarch wearing sunglasses and a garland during his royal circuit to Samoa past month.

The photograph was taken arsenic helium opened The King's Garden astatine a depository successful Apia, and the connection read: 'Wishing a precise Happy Birthday to His Majesty The King!'

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer besides tweeted a message, saying: 'Sending His Majesty The King my precise champion wishes connected his day today. Many blessed returns.'