THE Duchess of Cornwall met service families yesterday as she opened a new respite care facility at the Tile Barn Outdoor Centre near Brockenhurst.

The facility, which features 20 wooden solar-powered camping ‘poppy pods’, was created with the aim of supporting members of the armed forces and their families.

Camilla, who spent a morning chatting with families currently staying in the pods, was welcomed by the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkinson, the chairman of Hampshire County Council, Cllr Keith Chapman, and the leader of the authority, Cllr Roy Perry.

Mr Atkinson said: “There are over 20,000 military personnel based in Hampshire, more than any other county, and I know Her Royal Highness and the people of Hampshire place enormous value on our long and close relationship with the forces.”

While talking to Darren Hatfield, 38, a Royal Navy leading chef who is on holiday with wife Lisa and daughters Gracie, six, , the duchess asked him if his daughter, Gracie, six, snored, to which he replied: “No, but daddy does.”

Afterwards, L/Chef Hatfield, who is on holiday with his wife Lisa, other daughters Mya, 13, Megan, 12, and Lyla, four, said: “It was brilliant to meet her- you don’t realise the royals are real people until you meet them, but she really put you at your ease.”

Camilla also watched youngsters from Brockenhurst Primary School using the outdoor climbing equipment and had to duck as eight-year-old Adam Cartwright waved a pole around as he explained the purpose of the exercise.

The duchess said: “Oh my goodness. Thank you very much for explaining or otherwise I wouldn’t know where you were going.”

The duchess then participated in a then met members of the 1st Brabourne and Smeeth Scout Group from Ashford, Kent, before a reception attended by families and personnel from the Queen’s Own Rifles, a regiment of which she is colonel-in-chief.

The camping pods were inspired by BBC programme The Choir, which provided an insight into the fears and isolation of military wives as their husbands and partners served in Afghanistan.

The facility has been created by Hampshire County Council with funding from the Armed Forces Community Covenant Grant and the Brockenhurst branch of the Royal British Legion.

Each pod is named after a battle from Amiens to Ypres, and pine seeds from Gallipoli have been planted nearby.

During her visit, the duchess also visited the nearby St Nicholas’ Church and its cemetery of Commonwealth War Graves.

The churchyard contains 106 graves of the First World War, of which 100 are in the New Zealand plot, including 93 New Zealand graves, three Indian and three unidentified Belgian civilians (employed at the Sopley Forestry camp).

She viewed a newly-created commemorative stained-glass window honouring those connected to the First World War hospital which stood nearby.

Brockenhurst was chosen in 1915 to become a hospital centre because of its proximity to Southampton.

The stained glass window honours those who were connected to the New Zealand hospital and tells the story of the doctors, nurses and auxiliary workers who came over from New Zealand and the 21,000 troops who were treated there.