King Charles and Queen Camilla visited Poundbury at Dorchester yesterday for the first time since their coronation.

The Royal couple were in Poundbury, the eco-friendly village on the outskirts of the the county town which Charles pioneered when he was Duke of Cornwall, to unveil bronze reliefs of themselves on a plaque in the village's central hub, Queen Mother Square.

In a walkabout the King met a group of well-wishers who had hurried out of a spa in their dressing gowns. One of them, Faye Harris, 34, told reporters afterwards: "It's was a bit surreal standing in my dressing gown to meet the King and Queen, but wonderful.

"I was just having a treatment and they said would you like to come and see the King and I said why not."

Civic dignitaries, local school children and residents turned out in force to welcome the King and Queen, who flew in by helicopter, to their first visit to Dorset since the coronation.

The King and Queen cut a ribbon to open the new Duke of Edinburgh Garden where they were serenaded by pupils of Damers First School in Dorchester, singing their coronation song "Sing for the King".

A couple from Australia were visiting parents in Dorchester and their daughter Grace held up a sign saying "I'm from Australia". Grace planned to email her teacher in Sydney to say "I met the King".