PETAWAWA, Ont. - Prince Charles visited CFB Petawawa on Remembrance Day to meet soldiers and their families, including members of the Royal Canadian Regiment, of which he is colonel-in-chief. Here is the text of a brief question-and-answer session with the prince:

Question: "It's been a very difficult year for Canada and for many other countries. In your own regiment, 11 lost. Any message for Canadians today?"

Answer: "Well, how much we owe them. An enormous debt of gratitude for the incredible service and duty that they perform on our behalf in some of the most difficult and impossible conditions you could imagine. And I certainly don't take for granted what they do, because it is quite remarkable how many people are prepared to give such service. And thank goodness, if I may say so, that there's such support from the Canadian public for what they're doing, which is the great thing when you're out there, feeling that you have all that support behind you. So I'm particularly proud of my Canadian regiments that I've been involved with now for over 30 years. So, for me, it's a great opportunity to see at least some of them today and just express how much appreciation, for what it's worth, I feel, for the role they play."

Question: "And if I may, what's it like for you to meet these families who have given so much?"

Answer: "You always feel very inadequate in what you can say. It's very hard to find anything of comfort. I do so understand what they must have been through, what they still go through. Because, of course, you never get over losing somebody, ever. But the least we can do is to offer them our sympathy and understanding and support, and of course the fact that what their loved ones did will never be forgotten, always be remembered, and particularly on today."

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