MY SON, THE TRUE DUCHY ORIGINAL!
Queen says it’s ‘a privilege’ to toast Charles at 70 in deeply personal tribute
The Queen last night paid the warmest and wittiest of tributes to her son and heir as she toasted Prince Charles’s 70th birthday.
Speaking at a private family party at Buckingham Palace, the monarch spoke of what a ‘privilege’ it was for her, as a mother, to honour her eldest child on such a momentous occasion.
Surrounded by their closest family and friends, she described Charles as a ‘dedicated and respected heir to the throne to stand comparison with any in history — and a wonderful father’.
Significantly, she also gave his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, the highest seal of approval, referring to Camilla by name as the woman who ‘sustains’ him.
And in a humorous aside she referred to the Prince of Wales as a ‘duchy original’ — a reference to the organic food line he set up almost three decades ago.
Raising a glass of champagne at the black-tie dinner, the Queen said: ‘It is a privilege for any mother to be able to propose a toast to her son on his 70th birthday.
‘It means that you have lived long enough to see your child grow up. It is rather like — to use an analogy I am certain will find favour — planting a tree and being able to watch it grow.
‘My mother saw me turn 70, of course. And she was heard to observe that 70 is the age when the number of candles on your cake finally exceeds the amount of breath you have to blow them out.
‘Over his 70 years, Philip and I have seen Charles become a champion of conservation and the arts, a great charitable leader — a dedicated and respected heir to the throne to stand comparison with any in history — and a wonderful father.
‘Most of all, sustained by his wife Camilla, he is his own man, passionate and creative.
‘So this toast is to wish a happy birthday to my son, in every respect a duchy original.
‘To you Charles. To the Prince of Wales.’
While undeniably heartfelt, the speech will also be seen by many as a ringing endorsement of her successor.
Mother and son have not always had the easiest of relationships, but have found new contentment and respect in recent years, aided by the prince’s settled domestic life.
And it is clear from her remarks that the Queen expects Camilla, 71, to rule at his side.
Last night’s lavish dinner, held in the Buckingham Palace ballroom, was the Queen’s way of celebrating her son and his many achievements.
Members of the Royal Family could be seen arriving for the party last night, including the Duchess of Cambridge, resplendent in pink with an elaborate ‘updo’ and chandelier earrings. The Duchess of Sussex looked equally glamorous in a chignon and diamonds.
It was billed as an ‘intimate’ event, although still one for several hundred people including representatives of many of europe’s royal families.
The guest list for last night’s party was overseen by the Duchess of Cornwall, who was also in charge of the seating plan for the dinner.
More than 300 guests, including many of Prince Philip’s German cousins, were entertained by the singer Alfie Boe and the American-born soprano Renee Fleming.
After drinks in the Buckingham Palace picture gallery, guests moved into the ballroom, which normally hosts investitures, for the dinner.
Among the guests were theatrical dames Maggie Smith and Judi Dench. Later, there was dancing to music from royal favourite Jools holland, and the party was due to end at midnight.
Until the party started, it had been a normal working day for the birthday boy, who attended two meetings with the former president of Kosovo and the Cuban president as well as a public engagement in London.
Charles laughed as he was handed a 70th birthday balloon and a gift from the Press as he arrived at Spencer house to speak at a celebratory tea party with 70 other 70-year-olds in London.
handed his surprise package — which contained a £5.99 container of ‘hot Nuts’ grey squirrel repellent (as patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, he has little affection for the greys) — the prince roared with laughter and said: ‘Where do you find these terrible things?’
Asked whether she had finally found him a present, after telling the Mail last week that she was stuck for ideas, the Duchess of Cornwall said teasingly: ‘I did. But I’m not telling.’
The prince chuckled when asked if he is slowing down.
‘You may see it, slowly but surely,’ to which Camilla retorted: ‘I doubt it!’
Inside Spencer house — the former home of Diana, Princess of Wales’ family — he met the group of septuagenarians, who are volunteers involved with the royal couple’s charities.
As soon as the couple walked into the building, the group began singing happy Birthday to the prince before they all posed for a photograph.
‘A dedicated and respected heir’