Charles’s 70th? It was just magic!
The Blue Danube on old car horns, Chinese acrobats, Edward sawing his nephew in half...
OVER the years there has been many a time when Prince Charles wished that the disappearing tricks he learned as a member of the Magic Circle could be put to permanent use – perhaps on some of his pesky critics, for example.
But even he, surely, would have drawn the line at sawing someone in half, however tempting?
Not so his brother Edward who, styling himself as ‘the Magical Bisector’, stepped up to perform the classic illusion at his brother’s lavish 70th birthday party on Wednesday evening.
His partner who clambered willingly, if a little nervously, into a wooden box was his sister Anne’s son and Charles’s nephew Peter Phillips, whose 41st birthday was the following day.
Many a royal heart was in mouth as the pair, with Edward brandishing a hand saw, stepped on to the stage for the highlight of a riotous and joyful celebration at Buckingham Palace.
All the elements of Charles’s life were there. His love of music, comedy, fine food and gentle lampooning, together with 300 family and close friends carousing into the early hours.
No one took to the Palace ballroom floor with more enthusiasm than the birthday boy, dancing with Camilla and a string of royal cousins.
Even Prince Philip, who makes only rare appearances at family events these days, was on hand to join the toasts led by his wife for their eldest son.
If hers was the warmest and wittiest of tributes – in which she labelled her son ‘a duchy original’ in reference to his organic food brand – it was Prince William who brought the house down with a tongue in cheek, if heavy-handed joke at his father’s expense.
Father and son have not always enjoyed the easiest of relationships, but William showed he was a chip off the royal block with remarks that remained, just, inside the boundaries of propriety.
HIS speech, complete with theatrical pauses, began with him saying: ‘Let me tell you all the things my father hates... red squirrels, the environment, traditional architecture.’ Warming to his theme, he listed Charles’s subsidiary titles — titles he will one day inherit.
Then, in a reference to his contribution to last week’s TV documentary about Charles, he added the heartfelt, if jokey, plea that one day his father’s ‘sausage fingers’ will stop writing letters in order to spend more time with his grandchildren.
For good measure, William threw in a final joke about ‘breaking news’ on one of the prince’s most cherished possessions, his country house in Gloucestershire. ‘Highgrove,’ William declared, ‘is being turned into an NCP car park...’
In fact Willliam was just the warm-up act.
Singer and actor Gary Wilmot, 64, who rose to fame as a contestant on ITV talent show New Faces in the 1970s, sang his song in which he name-checks famous stations on the Tube map to the traditional can-can tune.
There was more musical entertainment from tenor Alfie Boe, US soprano Renee Fleming — who sang O Mio Babbino Caro — and royal favourite Jools Holland, who performed three songs.
Other acts included Chinese acrobats, a Welsh choir and Goonstyle humour from FrenchCanadian novelty artist Michel Lauziere, who performed the Blue Danube and God Save The Queen on vintage car horns strapped to every part of his body — to the rapt astonishment of the woman herself.
The evening had begun with drinks in the Picture Gallery followed by dinner of salmon tartlet, poussin with autumn vegetables and ice cream bombe, served in the ballroom, where investitures are usually held.
Guests sat at round tables covered in blue tablecloths and decorated with candlesticks and flowers from the Highgrove garden. Not since Queen Elizabeth held her ‘Dance of the Decades’ party at the turn of the century to mark a host of family birthdays have so many royals crammed into the palace.
Apart from the immediate royal family members, most of the crowned heads of Europe and beyond were there – some familiar, others less so. The larger than life Prince Albert of Monaco, for example, and the rarely seen King Simeon of Bulgaria. Leading the glamour stakes were the Australian-born Princess Mary of Denmark, Princess Tatiana of Greece and Queen Rania of Jordan.
Stars of stage and screen included Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Tom Stoppard and Joanna David, whose husband Edward Fox played Charles’ great uncle in the 1978 TV drama Edward and Mrs Simpson. Younger guests included members of William and Harry’s circle, such as Charlie and Daisy van Straubenzee, and Hugh and Rose van Cutsem. The party was overseen by Camilla, whose ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles, was also invited.
THIS was a more traditional gathering than many of the prince’s earlier landmark parties. There were no UK Cabinet ministers, as there were at his 50th when Peter Mandelson was on the guest list, and fewer ‘luvvies’.
While 97-year old Prince Philip made an early departure — before the dancing — he was not the first. Prince Harry and the pregnant Meghan Markle made their excuses and left.
The Queen left soon after, but others remained until after midnight. And there was no doubting what they considered the high point of the evening – the Magical Bisector’s tour de force (Edward once harboured theatrical ambitions). Charles, a life-long fan of conjuring tricks and sleight of hand — he’s been a member of the Magic Circle since 1975 — was said to have been captivated.
‘Edward has still got a bit of the actor about him and he loves putting on a show, but he must have been practising for weeks,’ a guest told the Irish Daily Mail.
Another said: ‘He certainly hammed it up, there was lots of waving the saw around and saying, “Now for my next trick”. But it was very successful — though there were some anxious looks from the family.’
The following day, the Queen told staff of an ‘enchanting’ evening. As for the birthday boy, he rang his mother to thank her for hosting it.