Queen Elizabeth II: Gurkha veterans pay their respects to monarch

The Queen met Gurkhas at the Maidstone Barracks in February 2011

Gurkha veterans have paid their respects to the Queen at the Gurkha memorial in Folkestone, describing her death as like losing a parent.

The Gurkhas, Nepalese fighters in the British army, have close ties to the monarchy.

Dhan Gurung, from the Gurkha Memorial Fund, said: "I feel I lost my parents because she was so kind-hearted."

Gurkhas from Maidstone will march in the funeral procession when the nation bids farewell to the monarch.

Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday aged 96, ending a 70-year reign.

The veterans said the late Queen was at the heart of their service.

Gurkhas have close ties to the monarchy - the Queen is seen here visiting a Gurkha unit in Hampshire in 1978

Maj Deb Bahadur Pun, now retired, said he had served for 28 years in the British Army and he "came here to respect the Queen".

The late monarch was a well-loved figure in Nepal - visiting the Himalayan country twice during her reign.

Shiva Dhan Raj, a veteran from the Gurkha Rifles, said the Queen's death had been met with sadness and the veterans had been "honoured to serve" her.

Gurkhas have served as part of the army for more than 200 years.

• Obituary: A long life marked by a sense of duty

• Queen Elizabeth II: A life in pictures

• This is the moment history stops

• King Charles III, the new monarch

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].