During a two-day visit to Afghanistan, Charles also met US and British commanders of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and toured a renovation project in Kabul's old city.
Heir to the British throne Prince Charles made his first visit to troops on the front line in Afghanistan on Thursday, thanking soldiers who have advanced deep into territory held by the Taliban.
During a two-day visit to Afghanistan, Charles also met US and British commanders of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and toured a renovation project in Kabul's old city run by a charity he sponsors.
"I admire deeply the armed forces and support what they are doing whenever I possibly can," Charles, whose younger son Prince Harry fought in Afghanistan as a British army officer, told reporters at a military base in Helmand province.
"I just wanted to come and say thank you, well done."
Charles visited Nad Ali district of Helmand province, where British forces were involved alongside US Marines in the biggest offensive of the 8-year-old war last month.
"We have seen a very steep drop in violence to the point where we are getting some signs of Taliban who want to come in," the commanding officer in the area, Major Ian Lindsay-German of the Scots Guards, briefed the prince.
Earlier, the commander of the British-led task force in Helmand, Brigadier James Cowan, told the prince British troops were adopting a tactic of "courageous restraint", part of NATO commander General Stanley McChrystal's effort to win hearts and minds by restricting use of firepower to prevent civilian deaths.
"We have greatly reduced the use of lethal force," Cowan said. "As a result we see many people coming over to our side and starting to trust us."
NATO commanders hope the operation in Nad Ali district, which includes the former Taliban stronghold of Marjah, will help turn the tide against the insurgency in a year they consider decisive.
Britain has about 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, the second largest contingent behind the United States, which is increasing its own force to 100,000 this year under an escalation strategy ordered by president Barack Obama.
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