Soham couple Florence and Leslie Brilliant are so used to receiving cards from the Queen that they have set aside a drawer especially for them.

The remarkable couple celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary this week and received their sixth card from the Queen to mark the occasion.

A card is sent out by her majesty to mark 60th, 65th and 70th wedding anniversaries and every year thereafter.

Florence, 92, started her first job in a jelly factory in Battersea, London, before moving on to a lens factory, in Clapham, where she met Leslie, 96, for the first time.

The couple were married at Battersea Registry Office in 1941 and Leslie signed up with the RAF shortly after.

He was posted to Bomber Command, at RAF Wittering, and flew almost 40 missions over Europe in both Lancaster bombers and Wellingtons as a gunner.

Florence was also moved to join the RAF, and was preparing to do some driving for the force, when it was discovered that she was six weeks pregnant and she was, as she recalls, “thrown out”.

After the Second World War finished, Leslie worked for the Post Office and the couple remained in London until their retirement, when they moved to Littleport. They now live together at Millbrook House, in Soham. They have six children.

The key to 73 years of happy marriage, according to Florence is “being happy with each other”.

She added: “We do have our arguments, he rows with me and I row with him so we entertain each other one way or another!”