A great-great-great-grandmother has shared her memory of the time she met King Charles and gave him the nickname "Char Char".

Kathy Martin, from Minster Road, Minster, Sheppey, met the then Prince of Wales in London in May 1981.

The 91-year-old even appeared in the Daily Express which carried a picture of her after she was caught on camera taking the future King’s photograph.

She said: "There was a sixth-form centre opening opposite my flat at the time in Chillingworth Road, London.

"There was loads of people there and nosey me wanted to know what was going on.

"So of course I put on my best clothes, my best hat and grabbed my camera and I thought I'd go and have a look.

"So I did, I had a look."

The mum-of-eight continued: "Prince Charles got out the car and walked along as people were all waving and cheering.

"As he came near me I said to him 'Can I have a picture Char Char?'

"They all looked at me calling him 'Char Char'.

"I should've said Prince Charles!

"But he said 'yes', stood still and I took the picture."

After snapping the photo Kathy returned to her flat and collected her elderly neighbour, known as Nanny Cook, in her wheelchair.

Kathy continued: "I wheeled her through and I said to the coppers 'Can I push nanny through there so she can see him?'

"They said yes I could, which I did, so when our future King came back outside again I called out to him and said 'Could you have a word please?'

"He looked at her in her wheelchair and he came over and had a lovely conversation with her for a few minutes.

"When Charles was finished he said to me 'Is that alright madam?'

"So I turned around and said, 'You're a darling Char Char' and as I did I touched him on the chest, where his tie was.

"It was so lovely and soft and I turned round to him and went 'Oh I shouldn't have done that should I?' and he just laughed and off he went.

"That was my experience of our King."

Kathy, who has lived on Sheppey for the last 16 years, had a second meeting with the Royal Family after she was invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

She received the invite in 1999 after MP Chris Smith put her forward for the event due to her work with a tenants' association.

Kathy said: "The Queen was at the party. We were all separated in lines and the Queen walked down one line while Prince Philip walked down the other.

"She sometimes stopped to speak to people but I remember thinking 'thank God she didn't choose me'.

"But she was beautiful, such a lovely, lovely girl.

"She's been an angel that woman. It's really sad that she's passed.

"I think Charles will be a good King. Give him a chance, the poor man has only just lost his mum.

"We shouldn't expect much else yet."