IMPRISONED journalist Julian Assange has written to Charles Windsor inviting him to visit him in His Majesty’s Prison Belmarsh, where the WikiLeaks founder has been incarcerated for more than four years while fighting extradition to the United States.

He offered tongue-in-cheek congratulations to the King for technically being host to the biggest prison population in Europe.

Mr Assange has been wanted by Washington since WikiLeaks exposed US war crimes in Iraq and elsewhere. If extradited, he could face life in prison.

In his letter to Mr Windsor, he wrote: “It is here [in Belmarsh] that 687 of your loyal subjects are held, supporting the United Kingdom’s record as the nation with the largest prison population in western Europe.

“As your noble government has recently declared, your kingdom is currently undergoing ‘the biggest expansion of prison places in over a century,’ with its ambitious projections showing an increase of the prison population from 82,000 to 106,000 within the next four years. Quite the legacy, indeed.

“I am honoured to reside within the walls of this world-class institution. Truly, your kingdom knows no bounds.”

Mr Assange sarcastically refers to prison conditions such as HMP Belmarsh’s “culinary delights prepared for your loyal subjects on a generous budget of £2 per day.

“Savour the blended tuna heads and the ubiquitous reconstituted forms that are purportedly made from chicken.

“Here, you will marvel at sensible rules designed for everyone’s safety, such as the prohibition of chess, whilst permitting the far less dangerous game of checkers” (draughts), he wrote.

Thousands of people attended events on Thursday highlighting Mr Assange’s plight on World Press Freedom Day.

Mr Windsor was not available for comment.