Charles in tribute to dead soldiers

Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, who was killed in Afghanistan

Prince Charles has paid tribute to Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, the most senior British officer killed in Afghanistan.

The prince, who is colonel-in-chief of Lt Col Thorneloe's regiment the Welsh Guards, said the news of his death was "completely heartbreaking".

Lt Col Thorneloe, the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was killed by a roadside bomb near Lashkar Gah in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, on Wednesday along with 18-year-old Trooper Joshua Hammond, of 2nd Royal Tank Regiment.

Prince Charles, who knew the officer, paid tribute to him during a visit to Cornwall.

He said he had been "mortified" when he heard of the deaths.

"Having been colonel-in-chief of the Welsh Guards for the last 34 years, as you can imagine it is a wonderful family regiment and having been involved for those 34 years I've seen sons and grandsons go through the regiment.

"As you can imagine, the shock and horror that has affected the whole of the regiment family was quite dramatic.

"I was horrified to say the least about both deaths, Trooper Hammond as well. Having been to visit the Welsh Guards at Aldershot before they left to go to Afghanistan, having met the families and having met Col Rupert's wife, my heart is very much with them. It's completely heartbreaking. The whole battalion is suffering."

Lt Col Thorneloe, 39, the most senior British Army officer to be killed in action since the Falklands War, was described by his widow Sally as "a born soldier".

General Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff, said the officer, from Kirtlington, near Oxford, had left the Battle Group Headquarters and was in a resupply convoy in order to visit his men who were conducting a major operation in hostile territory. An improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated under his Viking armoured vehicle.