Mother’s love laid bare in the Queen’s touching tribute to her ‘Duchy original’
Prince of Wales marks 70th birthday with fellow septuagenarians before Buckingham Palace dinner
SHE spoke as monarch, host and, most tellingly, mother. And in some of her warmest words ever about the Prince of Wales, she could clearly not have been prouder.
In a toast to celebrate the Prince’s 70th birthday, the Queen delivered a heartfelt tribute to her son: an “heir to the throne to stand comparison with any in history” and, she joked, a true “Duchy original”.
Her words, in a family not known for gushing sentiments in public, were remarkable, at a dinner in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace. The Prince, dressed in black tie and with the Duchess of Cornwall at his side, was surrounded by friends, family and European royalty at a private celebration at the end of several weeks of public birthday activities.
Amid the festivities, attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were the warm words of the Queen, the crowning moment of a 70th birthday that has seen many members of the public think ahead to how the Prince may one day serve as king.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who, at the age of 97, has been missing from the Queen’s recent public duties, took his place at the table, along with his three other children and their spouses, to show his shared parental pride.
The Queen’s words were not without humour, making knowing reference to his love of trees and, in a neat pay-off, his own range of organic food.
“It is a privilege for any mother to be able to propose a toast to her son on his 70th birthday,” she said in a toast.
“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 exactly the age when the number of candles on your cake finally exceeds the amount of breath you have to blow them out.
“Over 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.” The toast was particularly significant for its recognition of the Prince as a father and the inclusion of specific praise for the Duchess of Cornwall, after a difficult 2017, which saw the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, bring the most traumatic moment of modern royal history into focus.
The Duchess offered her own personal tribute ahead of the birthday, published in The Daily Telegraph, while the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex hailed their father affectionately in a BBC documentary made for the milestone.
As the Prince and Duchess left Clarence House together last night, they looked the picture of happiness, the Duchess wearing a diamond necklace, bracelet and earrings to complement a navy blue Bruce Oldfield gown. The women of the Royal family spared no effort or expense, with the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex wearing sparkling diamond earrings and chic up-dos while the Dukes opted for black tie evening wear.
The guest list reportedly included grand royal houses from Norway, Denmark,
‘He is his own man. So this toast is to wish a happy birthday to my son, in every respect a Duchy Original’
He has spent his life ‘defying expectations and refusing to be categorised. His commitment has been total’
the Netherlands, Spain and Belgium, and the wider British Royal family.
It was a far cry from the Prince’s daytime activities, which saw him meet with visiting foreign politicians and make a guest appearance a tea party for 70 septuagenarians who volunteer for charities close to the Prince and Duchess of Cornwall.
Asked by the press whether he would be slowing down, the Prince said: “You may see it, slowly but surely.”
The Duchess, unable to resist, chimed in: “I doubt it.”
Earlier, the House of Commons and the House of Lords had both heard glowing tributes to the Prince.
Theresa May, the Prime Minister, said the Prince had spent his life “defying expectations and refusing to be categorised”, adding: “His commitment to public service has been total.”
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, joked that he had considered offering jam from his allotment as a birthday gift but had since suffered a “deep crisis of confidence”.