Prince Charles greets England and Australia cricket teams in Cardiff as they prepare for Ashes 2015 battle

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Prince Charles met members of the England and Australia teams
Australia took to the nets at Cardiff's Swalec Stadium on Monday morning with England practicing in the afternoon
The tourists presented Prince Charlies with an Australian shirt
Prince of Wales met England captains Alastair Cook and Charlotte Edwards
First Test of 2015 Ashes series begins on Wednesday in Cardiff

Published: 05:34 EST, 6 July 2015 | Updated: 07:29 EST, 6 July 2015

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England and Australia were given a Royal welcome at Cardiff's Swalec Stadium as they were greeted by Prince Charles.

The two teams arrived at the venue for Wednesday's first Ashes Test for net practice and training, and they were welcomed by the Prince of Wales.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are on a week-long summer visit to Wales.

Prince Charlies shakes hands with England captain Alastair Cook at Cardiff's Swalec Stadium

The Prince of Wales talks to Jimmy Anderson, Jos Buttler, women's captain Charlotte Edwards and Cook

The Prince shares a joke with Anderson and Buttler during his visit to the team's training session

Prince Charles also met the Australian team as they prepared for Wednesday's first Ashes Test

Prince Charles meets England squad in Cardiff ahead of Ashes

Australia took to the nets on Monday morning following their back-to-back victories over Kent and Essex in tour matches.

Captain Michael Clarke was seen working on his game in the nets, while Mitchell Johnson was seen steaming in to bowl.

Prince Charles was also presented with an Australian team shirt before he then met the England team as they arrived for their practice in the afternoon.

The Prince was seen talking to England captain Alastair Cook as well as Jimmy Anderson, Jos Buttler and England women's captain Charlotte Edwards.

Anderson said: 'He's very much lending us his support and offering encouragement and it was lovely to meet him. He was just asking us about the game and our preparations and wishing us good luck.'

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson listens intently to some advice from the Prince of Wales

Prince Charles shares a joke with Australian all-rounder Shane Watson in Cardiff

Prince Charles is on a week-long summer visit to Wales with the Duchess of Cornwall

Australian team manager Gavin Dovey presents the Prince of Wales with an Australian Test shirt

Prince Charles jokes with Australian squad ahead of the Ashes

The 2015 Ashes series will begin on Wednesday in Cardiff before moving onto Lord's in London next Thursday.

The Swalec Stadium will host the Ashes series opener for the second time in it's history having done the same in 2009, when England's last pair Anderson and Monty Panesar held on for a thrilling draw.

Australia arrived in England last month and are favourites to win the series and retain the urn they won in emphatic fashion during the 2013-14 series.

As ever before an Ashes series, there has been plenty of talking from both teams.

England fast bowler Anderson insisted, though, that he will not let himself be drawn into a sledging war during the summer.

Australian captain Michael Clarke in the nets in Cardiff on Monday morning as he prepares for the first Test

Steve Smith, pictured hitting out in the nets, will be looking to continue his fine form in England this summer

Australian fast bowlers Johnson (left) and Mitchell Starc (right) steam in during practice

Australian batsman David Warner watches on as he waits for his turn in the nets

'The pre-Ashes phoney war has been in full swing for a while now - and I've already been called a hypocrite,' he wrote in The Sun.

'It's all because I said that verbal confrontations are not something I need as much these days. I've come to realise I don't need to chirp away.

'It was something I used effectively for a few years and it helped my game. But I'm at a stage in my career where I'm not keen to engage opponents in wars of words as much as I did.'