Soon-to-be grandad Prince Charles meets Military Speaker Andy Reid

The Prince of Wales was the official opening of the Marie Curie Hospice in Solihull as he officially opened the Marsh Lane site yesterday.

The Prince of Wales was the official opening of the Marie Curie Hospice in Solihull as he officially opened the Marsh Lane site yesterday.

The Prince of Wales meets servicemen and Military Speaker Andy Reid (below), from the 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment , with his wife Claire and son William during a visit to Fisher House UK at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.  You can read Andy's remarkable biography here: /speakers/andy-reid.aspx

Prince Charles will become a grandfather for the first time next month when  Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, gives birth to her first child with Prince William.

Later he officially opened a purpose-built "home away from home" for the families of wounded troops being treated in hospital.

The Royal also officially opened Fisher House, a home-from-home for families of soldiers being treated at the nearby Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Edgbaston.

He cut the ribbon and was then given a whistle-stop tour of the state-of-the-art building which cost £4.2 million and boasts 18 spacious bedrooms.

One of the soldiers he met was Corporal Andy Reid, his wife Claire and their son William, aged six months.

Cpl Reid, 36, who lost his right arm, and right lower leg, as well as his left limb above the knee, was previously treated at the hospital and is a supporter of the Fisher House project.

And when he met the Prince again yesterday, he decided to ask about the impending birth of the Royal baby.

"I asked him if he's looking forward to the birth of his grandchild and he said 'very much'," said Andy, who is from St Helens, Merseyside.

"Then he laughed and said 'it's great that you can hand them back over'."

The hospital's official charity, Help for Heroes and American charity Fisher House Foundation have formed a partnership to create the home.

Families have already been staying there, including Kelly Gemmell, 32, of Essex, and her daughters Mia, who was celebrating her sixth birthday and Isabelle, aged four.

Kelly's soldier husband Stuart, 35, is being treated for injuries at the QE.

Kelly said: "Prince Charles said 'happy birthday' to Mia and said it was on the same day as his son Prince William. He also asked about my husband and his treatment.

"I think Mia was trying to show him her missing tooth, but he didn't notice," she laughed.

"Fisher House is amazing and we have been staying here for a few weeks."

Talk show host and ex-Marine Montel Williams is a trustee of the Fisher House Foundation and was also present at the opening.

He spoke with the Prince and gave him a special coin used by the charity.

"I gave the coin to him with a unique handshake that we do," said Montel. "I have met him before but that was in 1977 for the Queen's silver jubilee. He didn't remember me though."

Charles met with wounded service personnel and their families before cutting a ribbon and unveiling a plaque to mark the opening of the Help for Heroes-backed Fisher House at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Prince Charles also praised the work of all those involved in the creation of the new Solihull Marie Curie hospice: "A facility such as this makes such a difference to people who find themselves in these circumstances," he said.

"It just shows the astonishing generosity of people in this country - all those wonderful people who give up their time to raise money, in all sorts of ways, to support the hospice.

"I am extremely proud to be involved with Marie Curie and I was particularly proud to have succeeded my grandmother after so many years she spent being involved with this remarkable charity."

The Prince then spent time with patients, nurses, gardening and housekeeping staff and volunteers - but not before talking to chat pop act The Saturdays.

Band member Frankie said: "We were really nervous about meeting Prince Charles, we knew we had to be prim and proper - but he was great."

Bandmate Vanessa White added: "We were at the hospice when it was just a building site and we actually laid the first brick. Now it looks amazing and you can see such a difference in the patients from when they were at the old site. They seem really happy." Una Healy said: "It's really important, now more than ever, to carry on supporting this hospice. Marie Curie is very important to us, I think everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer."

The Marie Curie Hospice opened its doors earlier this year after it moved from its former site in Warwick Road. The facility, which cares for people with cancer and other life limiting illnesses, has an inpatient unit with 24 beds and fully equipped day care centre.

Day patient Pauline Godfree, aged 80, attends the hospice every week.

After speaking with the Prince, she said: "It has been a marvellous experience and he is a very lovely man. He took the time to speak to me and ask me questions.

"The hospice is becoming a home now - it's the little things like the picture and the flowers, it's now alive. I also come here for respite, which is like a holiday for me."