The King has thanked Royal Navy submariners for their service to the country while on a visit to meet the First Sea Lord.

Charles met several senior ranking members of the Royal Navy at RNAD Coulport, expressing his gratitude for their work in nuclear deterrence.

A Royal Navy warship was deployed to shadow a Russian submarine through the English Channel. HMS Iron Duke monitored Novorossiysk, a Kilo-class submarine, and Evgeny Churov, its supporting tug, as it passed through the Channel and the North Sea at the start of the month.

Despite a robust submarine fleet, including Astute-class attack subs and Vanguard-class ballistic missile subs, maintenance issues have plagued operations, raising questions about the Royal Navy's readiness in a potential confrontation with adversaries like China or Russia.

King Charles thanked submariners for their service and met with their families during a special visit to HMNB Clyde. The visit marked the first time His Majesty has visited the Royal Navy base as head of the armed forces.

Charles met dozens of serving submariners at the Royal Naval Armaments Depot (RNAD) at Coulport, part of HM Naval Base Clyde.