INJURED Afghanistan veteran Cayle Royce ended up joking with the Duke of Edinburgh over his catastrophic combat injuries.

The 27-year-old soldier from Dartmouth, who lost both his legs in a Taliban bomb attack, met both the Duke and the Queen during the royal visit linked to his 3000-mile challenge to row the Atlantic.

Prince Philip joked that the 27-year-old soldier should put wheels on his prosthetic limbs so he could get around 'more easily'.

Lance Corporal Royce said he was not offended by the comment of the Duke, who he described as a 'legend'.

He said: 'It was funny and I had a good chuckle. Why would I be offended? He means well. He's a great guy and a great character. I think the man's an absolute legend. It was a great day.'

Cayle had travelled to London for the royal visit which is linked to the Row2Recovery challenge which will see the soldier take part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge to row the 3,000 miles between the Canary Island and Antigua.

Cayle will be part of a four- man military team taking part in the event.

Cayle and the rest of the team are about to fly out to the Canary Islands to prepare for the rowing challenge, which will get under way on Monday, December 2.

Cayle will be joining Cpl Scott Blaney of the Grenadier Guards who also lost a leg in Afghanistan; Cpt Mark Jenkins, a physiotherapy officer with the Royal Army Medical Corps; and team leader Cpt James Kyall who served with Cayle in the Light Dragoons reconnaissance force in Afghanistan, for the rowing effort which will help raise funds to support wounded servicemen.

Cayle was serving with the Light Dragoons in the Helmand province of Afghanistan and his troop was on its way back from a successful raid in May last year when he was caught by an IED. He spent ten weeks in hospital – half of those in a coma.

l Cayle has been out on the Thames with other Atlantic rowers preparing for the 3,000-mile challenge.

And his training efforts were captured on camera and can now be viewed on our website.

Cayle, along with other sportsmen taking part in the gruelling event, rowed from Battersea to Vauxhall in London to mark what was then the three-week countdown to the off.

A total of 19 teams will be attempting to row from he Canary Islands to Antigua.

As well as Cayle and the Row2Recovery crew, the teams include an RAF team of two men and two women; a 52-year-old American female solo rower; a trio of English polo players; and a pair of Spanish firemen.