'We met the King... and Macron took the pictures'

Toby, 13, was ushered towards King Charles III by the French president, Emmanuel Macron

Two children had their picture taken by the French President Emmanuel Macron as they posed with King Charles III during the D-Day ceremony.

Toby, 13, and Ellie Mae, seven, were in Normandy, France, to mark the 80th anniversary of the landings on Thursday.

The siblings, from South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, were at Omaha Beach to remember their great-grandfather, a D-Day veteran.

"It's something you'll never forget," said their mother, Kerry.

The pair had their brush with royalty as they handed out commemorative plates they had created themselves for the veterans.

Kerry said it was a "surreal" set of encounters that left the family in tears of joy

Kerry told BBC Essex her children felt a "huge sense of pride" about making the items for veterans in attendance.

She said Toby "leapt into action" when he saw the King walking by and wanted to show him what he had made.

"Toby saw him and managed to give him a plate and President Macron took my husband's phone and was taking pictures of the whole episode," Kerry said.

"It was so surreal with Brigitte [Macron] cuddling me.

"My daughter had been cuddled by [Queen] Camilla while Toby was handing King Charles the commemorative plate."

Ellie Mae and Toby presented veterans with commemorative plates in France

Kerry said it was a "surreal" set of encounters which left her children overwhelmed with joy.

"Toby burst into tears and then Ellie Mae burst into tears - and then we all burst into tears, it was just madness," she said.

Toby said meeting royalty was the "best thing" and added: "Because, obviously, he's the King of England.

"I have chatted to my friends about it. They think it’s pretty cool how their friends have met the King.

"But once I've said it enough times they get quite annoyed."