The Prince of Wales welcomed guests to Windsor Castle last night to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the British Asian Trust and was praised for his compassion, warmth and good sense of humour - by one of the country's top comedians.

Charles held a dinner in a flower-filled Waterloo Chamber in the castle for supporters of the trust which has touched the lives of a million people affected by poverty in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Dressed in a suit with red sleeves and a red collar, Charles mingled with guests including trust ambassadors comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar, actress Laila Rouass, EastEnders star Nitin Ganatra, as well as former tennis star Boris Becker.

Founded in 2007 by British Asian business leaders at the suggestion of Charles, the trust aims to change the lives of poor people in south Asia through access to education, health and livelihoods.

Bhaskar, in a speech made after the heir to the throne, joked: "It's not customary for the warm-up man to appear after the headline act."

Earlier in the evening, Bhaskar praised the Prince for his work with the trust, and expressed his fondness for him as an individual.

"The first time I met him I thought he would be slightly other-worldly," he said.

"He's genuine, he's warm. He's a man of conviction and he's a man of humour.

"I found him incredibly compassionate and immensely understanding."

Bhaskar said both the Prince's Trust and the British Asian Trust "don't give handouts, they give hand-ups".

The star of The Kumars at No 42 said the British Asian Trust was conceived during a chat around a table and started off as just a "fledgling idea", before becoming an organisation that changed hundreds of thousands of lives.

Bhaskar said Charles was "hands on" with the charity, and added while people may believe the royals did not connect to society, Charles was "very much aware and wants to be aware".

In his pre-dinner speech, Charles thanked his guests for their support of the British Asian Trust and said he had a "particular affection and interest for that part of the world".

"I've come across so many fascinating examples of really worthwhile activities carried out by so many organisations," he said about his travels in the area.

"We are incredibly lucky to have such important and supportive people."

Speaking about the work of the trust in future, he said: "In the next five years, we should hope to do more and on a larger scale - with a particular focus on women and girls, together with support for improving and caring for the natural environment in the region."

Charles said he hoped the trust would help empower future generations, who could, in turn, facilitate long-term improvement in south Asia's health and prosperity.

Rouass, who was at the celebration with her snooker player fiance Ronnie O'Sullivan, said Charles' support for the trust was so important.

"He puts it on the global market. It's Prince Charles - everyone knows who he is," she said.

The glamorous star, in a black all-in-one body suit, said she spent five years living in India and added: "I done a lot for Mother Theresa's orphanages - I've got a personal connection to that part of the world."

Perhaps one of the evening's most humorous moments was when Charles met Becker and the pair joked about the German tennis player being at an event celebrating a British Asian organisation.

During the evening, Mukesh Ambani - India's richest man and managing director and chairman of Reliance Industries, the largest private sector firm in India - was named chairman of the India Advisory Council within the trust.

He said he was "greatly honoured" and added: "It is a privilege to be working with an organisation that understands the importance of genuine impact and sustainability."