At eight months pregnant, Lance Corporal Kelly Barrow clearly wasn't in any condition for active service in a war zone, but the Prince was happy to award her a medal for long service and good conduct before she went on maternity leave.

The encounter came during a visit by the Prince of Wales to Dishforth-based 9 Regiment Army Air Corps, which is preparing for another tour of duty in Afghanistan.

veteran

L/Cpl Barrow – herself a veteran of the Afghan conflict – was among members of the helicopter regiment receiving medals from the Prince.

The 36-year-old, who has served in the Army for 15 years, revealed that Prince Charles had asked about her pregnancy.

"He asked me should I actually be here because of my lump and I told him I was going on maternity leave tomorrow, " she said.

"Then he spoke to my husband, Antony, and asked us how long we had to wait for the baby to arrive."

return

L/Cpl Barrow, who is due to give birth on March 28, intends returning to military duties in September.

While he was in North Yorkshire, the Prince also visited troops at Catterick Garrison who are also preparing for deployment to Afghanistan.