A widow whose husband was killed in action during World War 2 has reflected on her friendship with King Charles III ahead of his coronation next week.

High Wycombe resident Ena Mitchell became a member of the War Widows’ Association following her husband Bill’s death and formed a friendship with the then Prince of Wales.

Ena, 104, is the oldest resident living at Royal Star & Garter in High Wycombe.

Bill, a Dunkirk and D-Day veteran, was killed in Belgium in 1944 when the Bren gun carrier he was travelling in to fetch supplies for his unit was bombed.

Ena went on to join the War Widows’ Association and got to befriend the future King when he became its Patron.

She said: “I met him lots of times, he’s been wonderful to the War Widows’ Association.”

She remembers being introduced to Her Majesty Queen Camilla, formerly HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, by the Prince during a War Widows’ Association visit to Buckingham Palace.

Ena said: “We were standing in a circle and he was introducing us to Camilla. One of our group told her she had four children when her husband was killed, and she (Camilla) was so kind and sympathetic. You couldn’t have met a nicer person.”

Ena would meet the Prince on several occasions, including at official functions at Highgrove House and Clarence House, and remained in touch with him after moving to Royal Star & Garter.

They would exchange letters and Ena added: “I also sent him a couple of architecture books I thought might interest him and got nice letters back. He is so friendly.”

Ena was a prolific fundraiser, collecting money for charities including Royal British Legion, NSPCC and Children with Cancer.

In the 1970s, she was part of a War Widows’ Association group which visited Royal Star & Garter at its former Home in Richmond.

She said: “I was so fascinated and impressed that I thought that this will be the charity that I’ll really work hard for.”

Over five decades, Ena has helped raise thousands of pounds for Royal Star & Garter, often asking for donations to be made to the charity on her birthday, instead of receiving presents.

The coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 6, at Westminster Abbey.

Charles acceded to the throne on September 8, 2022, upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II.