Three social care heroes from Wales were hailed as “truly magnificent” by King Charles when they met him during a special reception at Windsor Castle.

Taurai Zimbi from Barry, Shiny Skaria from Rhayader in Powys and retired nurse Carol Dight, who were all gold winners at last year’s Wales Care Awards, also had a chance to chat with Queen Camilla at the prestigious event.

The trio were among invited guests at the reception celebrating the extraordinary contribution of the nation’s social care workforce.

They were accompanied by Mario Kreft MBE, chair of Care Forum Wales which runs the Wales Care Awards.

Broadcaster Kate Garraway, actress Patricia Hodge, TV doctor Ranj Singh and celebrity Coleen Rooney were among the familiar faces at the occasion, which was also attended by the Duchess of Edinburgh.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was one of several politicians at the event and other MPs included Ed Davey, Stephen Kinnock and Pat McFadden.

Taurai, who relocated from Zimbabwe to Barry two years ago to take up a role with All Care South Wales, won gold in the Exceptional Newcomer category at last year’s awards.

Shiny, originally from Kerala in India, works at Crosfield House, a 64-bed nursing home based in Rhayader, and was crowned the overall winner in the Independent Sector Nurse of the Year.

Carol worked for nine years for HC-One Wales, which owns 14 residential and nursing homes across South Wales.

Not only did she win gold in the awards in the category for Leadership and Management in Small Group or Supported Living, but she also received the Spirit of Care Award.

Taurai, 42, said: “Relocating to the UK for me was huge and I was so happy about that, but this was something that never crossed my mind.

“I was like ‘wow’, I was so excited and nervous at the same time.

“It is something that you would tell your grandchildren about because so few people get the chance to meet the royals. It makes me feel very special.

“I was very lucky to meet both the King and the Queen and the Prime Minister as well.

“I was able to shake the King’s hand, and I’ve got a picture of that, I’m going to put it in a big frame and keep it forever.

“He asked me where I was from, and asked me about Zimbabwe and how I am finding things in Britain.

“To have him ask where I was from and how I am and how my family are was an amazing thing.

“It shows they do care about me, they do care about carers, it was an amazing feeling.

“I also had the chance to meet the Queen, I shook hands with her, introduced myself and said where I was from.

“It was a once in a lifetime experience.”

Taurai, a dad-of-two, said: “It is very important the work is recognised and meeting the royal family pushes you to do more.

“The King told us ‘I want you to know that you are not forgotten’.

“It feels different when somebody recognises you and says you’re doing an awesome job, especially when it comes from the royal family.

“It feels like they’re saying ‘guys, it’s not like we don’t see you, you’re doing a great job’, it was amazing.”

Taurai paid tribute to his colleagues at All Care South Wales.

He said: “That is like my home now, those people welcomed me when I came in with no experience.

“I have learned everything from them, they are amazing people and they are like my family now.

“I love my job, I love to see people happy and doing something which will put a smile on someone’s face.”

According to Shiny, 37, she brought back some fond birthday memories for the monarch.

She said: “When we were talking to the King, he said something like our efforts are truly magnificent.

“I said I was from Kerala and he said he could remember the time he went to Kerala very well because he celebrated one of his birthdays there.

“He said he remembered the cakes were amazing, and it was lovely to hear that, and I can’t imagine how he can remember all these things.

“It was a really nice conversation, he seems like a very down to earth person, it was a very easy, simple conversation, which is a great thing.

“It was absolutely mesmerising, I don’t think I have any other words to describe it.

“It is only my sixth year in the country, so I never thought I would have the chance to meet the King.

“I just feel blessed to have seen him.”

According to Shiny, the group also had a chance at the royal reception to briefly meet Queen Camilla and the Prime Minister and was introduced to Welsh Government politicians by Mr Kreft.

“I think carers should be celebrated and for us to be invited to a royal reception is a big achievement, “ she said.

Carol, 63, said it was a huge honour to be among the nation’s carers who were invited to attend the reception.

She said: “You just can’t put that experience into words, you can’t describe the honour that you feel meeting the royal family, it’s just truly humbling.

“The whole experience I would say was unbelievable.

“To think little me, one of millions in the country, has actually met the King and the Queen was just overwhelming.

“The reception was totally informal and I was amazed at how normal they were.

“They both have a presence but they are very human, it was amazing.

“The King said he was so pleased to meet us and he talked about his passion for care and that it was Queen Camilla’s drive to do the evening.

“He asked us all questions, he was very interested in us as individuals.

“Queen Camilla talked to all four of us too and she spoke about her passion for care and asked us what part of care we were in.

“We were very proud to be representing carers in Wales.

“We also met Keir Starmer and he thanked us for what we did.

Carol said her family were thrilled that she had been invited to the reception.

She said: “I had strict instructions to send photos as quickly as possible, which I did.

“My whole family have really celebrated it, they are amazed and thrilled.”

Carol joined HC-One Wales in 2016 and retired at the end of August last year, though she still does consultancy work in the care sector.

She said she was honoured to be at the reception to represent those who work in social care and thanked Care Forum Wales and Mario Kreft for the opportunity.

She said: “The Wales Care Awards are so exciting and prestigious – and look where we ended up, at a royal reception!

“It was a real privilege to be selected and just to be there representing the care sector.

“It is not about me really, it is about all the people who I have worked with and the carers that do such an amazing job looking after our residents.

“It is about all that they do, and they are often overlooked.

“Whether we like it or not, social care is the underdog of the care sector.

“And yet we provide fantastic care for millions of people across Britain and we should all be very proud of that.

“I went into social care almost at the end of my career when I got a job as a home manager and that was supposed to be for a short period.

“But I stayed as a home manager for HC-One and I have to say it was the best job I ever had – I absolutely loved it and I loved working in social care.

“I was lucky enough to work my way into different roles, I was an area director, then regional director, then managing director for Wales and the responsible individual for the 14 homes.

“I loved every minute and I still have a lot of friends back in those homes who I go to visit along with some residents who I got to know very well and it’s a real privilege.”

Mario Kreft said the invitation to the royal reception was an opportunity to talk to the King about the incredible work carers do and about the Wales Care Awards.

He said: “Taurai, Shiny and Carol were three of our top winners at the care awards and I was able to explain to the King who they were and why they were there.

“He spoke to Taurai and said he remembered being in Zimbabwe to sign the declaration of independence.

“He said he knew of Kerala in India where Shiny is from and he had a little chat with Carol, he just puts everybody at ease.

“It was a big thrill for all of them and I was just pleased to be able to accompany them.

“After 23 years and over 900 exceptional individuals in Wales being at the Wales Care Awards for what they do, it was a great honour to take three of those 900 to meet the King and Queen.

“That recognition is for the workforce in Wales, the awards themselves, Care Forum Wales and everybody connected with care in the independent sector.

“It’s like a coming of age for the awards. What better place to get that than at Windsor Castle with the King and Queen recognising three exemplars of those 900 over those 20-odd years?

“The King said to us it was the first time they had actually done anything like this.

“It was an occasion befitting the value of social care workers and carers in our society.

“Everybody in Wales who works in the profession can be justifiably proud.

“Despite all the challenges, they are very resilient and they deserve to be there and be represented there.”

This year’s Wales Care Awards ceremony will take place at the Holland House Hotel in Cardiff on Friday, October 16.

Nominations close on February 28, visit walescareawards.co.uk for more information.