The Duke of Kent met with veteran codebreakers at Bletchley Park, decades after their secret work helped change the face of the Second World War.Prince Edward, 90, spoke with four veterans over an afternoon lunch after touring the site.The 90-year-old has served as patron of the Bletchley Park charity for 30 years, ever since he first opened the site as a visitor attraction.The duke’s three-decade-long patronage of the Trust has helped preserve and maintain the history of Bletchley.The Duke of Kent met with veteran codebreakers at Bletchley Park | INSTAGRAM/THEROYALFAMILYIt has supported the future of one of the world’s most celebrated heritage attractions, renowned for its pivotal role in Allied codebreaking during World War II.Prince Edward also visited the Age of AI exhibition, which examines the link between the innovative wartime efforts at Bletchley Park and today’s technological landscape.At Bletchley, codebreakers cracked the German Enigma machine, which was believed to be unbreakable due to its astronomically large number of possible settings.Individuals like Alan Turing helped design early computing machines that decoded the German messages.Prince Edward joined the veteran codebreakers for afternoon tea | INSTAGRAM/THEROYALFAMILYHistorians estimate that the work done by codebreakers shortened the war by about two to four years, subsequently saving millions of lives.It sprinted along the defeat of Nazi Germany by strategically undermining their military coordination.The work at Bletchley Park remained classified until the 1970s and is recognised as one of the most important intelligence operations in history.Earlier this week, Prince William made a visit to One Mercian Regiment at their Bulford base, where he held discussions with female personnel about their experiences serving in the Armed Forces.The work by codebreakers at Bletchley is estimated to have shortened the war by two to four years | INSTAGRAM/THEROYALFAMILYAs Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment, the Prince of Wales’s trip followed his journey to see the unit during their posting in Estonia last year.The soldiers have since completed their six-month stint on Operation Cabrit, which forms Britain’s contribution to Nato’s Forward Land Forces stationed in Estonia and Poland.Currently, women represent around 12 per cent of the UK Regular Forces, with military leaders aiming to boost this figure to 30 per cent by the end of the decade.During his visit, the father-of-three toured the regiment’s purpose-built urban training facility, where troops are currently testing and experimenting with drone technology for city-based warfare.Women represent around 12 per cent of the UK Regular Forces | PAHe watched soldiers carry out urban combat drills and was given the chance to operate a drone himself, seeing firsthand how the aircraft supports infantry sections during operations.The Mercian Regiment, established in September 2007, draws its recruits historically from the five counties of the ancient kingdom of Mercia, earning them the title of The Heart of England’s Infantry.The battalion ranks among the Army’s most battle-tested units, having undertaken more than 15 operational deployments since its creation.William then joined officers, soldiers and their families from B Company for a coffee morning held in the Officers’ Mess, where they shared stories from their recent six-month deployment to Estonia.The gathering offered the 43-year-old an opportunity to hear directly from those who had served on the Nato mission and their loved ones who supported them from home.