A FORMER navy photographer from Andover who took photos of King Charles III, when he was the prince, has been reminiscing ahead of the Coronation.

The Coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms will take place on Saturday, May 6, at Westminster Abbey.

Charles acceded to the throne on September 8, last year, after the death of his mother, Elizabeth III.

Ahead of the grand event residents have been reminiscing on the times they met Charles and one of those is 76-year-old Brian Cartwright who lives in Andover.

Brian told the Advertiser he met the King while serving aboard the HMS Hermes, which was a conventional British aircraft carrier and the last of the Centaur class.

Andover Advertiser: Photographs Brian took Photographs Brian took (Image: Brian Cartwright)

Hermes was in service with the Royal Navy from 1959 until 1984, and it served as the flagship of the British forces during the 1982 Falklands War.

Brian was a petty officer photographer on HMS Hermes, on promotion to chief petty officer in 1975 he left HMS Hermes and retired from the Royal Navy in 1987 after 24 years of service.

Speaking of his experiences Brian said: "He was a helicopter pilot, whilst I was a petty officer photographer when Prince Charles was also serving on board as a pilot with 845 Naval Air Squadron.

"During this period I managed to take a number of photographs of the prince before he left the ship."

A petty officer is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotation OR-5 or OR-6.

Andover Advertiser:

Brian continued: "On promotion to CPO I left the ship to finish my 24 years in the Royal Navy, then in civilian life as a philatelic specialist before retiring at the age of 72."

Brian said although he did not meet the King directly he took many photographs of him.

He added: "Although I never met him personally when I did take photographs he was always smiling and had a great sense of humour."

Andover Advertiser:

Brian recalled watching Queen Elizabeth's Coronation on a small black and white TV when he was just six-years-old with neighbours.

He said this time he will be watching it at home and looks forward to seeing it on a bigger screen.

He said: "I think it is great that we will have a King as a monarch."