The Mayor of Ipswich has said it was "extraordinary honour" to meet King Charles III at Buckingham Palace this week.
Councillor Stefan Long, whose term as Mayor comes to an end this week, met the King and Queen at the King's Garden Party on Tuesday, May 12.
Every year nearly 30,000 people are invited along to the palace over the course of a number of partiers hosted throughout the year.
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Mr Long said: "It has been an extraordinary honour and a moment I’ll never forget. To be invited to Buckingham Palace at the end of my mayoral year felt like a recognition of the town of Ipswich.
"Our communities, our volunteers, our charities, and everyone who makes the town what it is. Walking through the gardens, seeing people from every corner of the country who serve their communities in different ways, was genuinely humbling. It was a perfect way to round off a year that has been full of civic pride.
"Meeting the King and the Queen was a privilege. He was of course very busy trying to speak to thousands of people, however, we had a brief conversation about Ipswich which I spoke about our heritage and history and our community spirit, and I mentioned how proud I was to represent a town with such a strong sense of identity and kindness. It was a short exchange, but one I’ll carry with me for a long time."
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