When King Charles trained at Lympstone

King Charles III trained at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines in Lympstone when he was Prince of Wales.

His Majesty undertook the commando training while qualifying as a helicopter pilot in 1974, after which he served alongside a detachment of Royal Marines on board HMS Hermes.

He had joined the Royal Navy a few years earlier, and following a six-week course at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, served on the guided missile destroyer HMS Norfolk and two frigates.

On 9 February 1976, The Prince took command of the coastal minehunter HMS Bronington for his last nine months in the Royal Navy.

The King qualified as a helicopter pilot (Crown copyright)

The King holds the honorary rank of Admiral of the Fleet, and he also serves as the ceremonial head of the Royal Marines in the role of Captain General.

The Royal Marines was formed in 1664 during the reign of King Charles II as the 'The Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot'. The regiment was eventually titled as the Royal Marines in 1802 by King George III.

King Charles is Captain General of the Royal Marines (Crown copyright)

The role of the ceremonial head of the Royal Marines has historically been held by the monarch, including the King's grandfather and great-grandfather, with King George V first assuming the appointment in 1901.

The Royal Marine Commandos are the amphibious troops of the Royal Navy. They are deployed across the globe as specialists in combat in extreme climates.