The Prince of Wales turned 70 yesterday, and celebrated the milestone at a glittering private party in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace with his extended family, including some more distant relatives from among the royal houses of Europe.
The Queen, age 92, and 66 years on the Throne, made this heartfelt toast to her son and heir:
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 exactly 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.
The official YouTube channel of the British Royal Family has posted this video montage of scenes from the Prince's life:
I admire the PofW very much, and add my congratulations and best regards to those from many other well-wishers around the globe.
4 comments:
There was an excellent BBC TV documentary shown last week, Prince, Son and Heir, Charles at 70. Find it if you can Russ. He’s a thoughtful man, concerned about his future subjects and the future of the planet. He deserves his future role IMHO. Tis' a pity not all Heads of State are so well prepared.
I want to see that - I hope it will come up on YT soon. Yes, he is a fine man as far as I can tell: intelligent, capable, compassionate, and modest - a moral man in the highest and best sense. So of course your journalists have laughed him to scorn these last forty or fifty years.
But he will make an exceedingly good King, nevertheless.
That is needed a lovely tribute. God Save the Queen and God Save the Prince of Wales.
And so say we all.
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