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The Queen praises ‘great’ 70th birthday party held for son Prince Charles

The Queen leaving the centenary reception: Getty Images
The Queen leaving the centenary reception: Getty Images

The Queen has spoken warmly about her son’s 70th birthday celebrations, calling the special party “great”.

A lavish event was held for Prince Charles on Wednesday night in Buckingham Palace, celebrating his milestone birthday.

The black-tie dinner staged in The Prince of Wales’ honour saw scores of guests in attendance, while he was accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla.

Speaking the day after the bash, the Queen gave her verdict as she attended an event marking the close links between Norway and Britain.

When the Queen arrived at a reception celebrating the centenary of the Anglo-Norse Society, she told council member Angela Christophersen: "Last night we had a great party for my son."

The Queen was joined at the event by King Harald V of Norway, who welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Oslo earlier this year.

The Queen and Prince Charles (AFP/Getty Images)
The Queen and Prince Charles (AFP/Getty Images)

Close family and friends from across the globe gathered in Buckingham Palace's ballroom for the glittering event including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

At the event, the Queen also praised her son in a rare, touching move.

She described him as a "dedicated and respected heir to the throne to stand comparison with any in history".

The Prince of Wales stands by a painting of The Queen Mother on Thursday (Getty Images)
The Prince of Wales stands by a painting of The Queen Mother on Thursday (Getty Images)

She added he was a "wonderful father".

During a day of tributes to the prince, Theresa May opened a Commons debate to mark the royal birthday and said the heir to the throne had spent his life "defying expectations and refusing to be categorised".

Mrs May said Charles was often seen to be "a man ahead of his time", citing his warnings on pollution, sustainable agriculture and the dehumanising effects of technology in the workplace.

Her words were echoed by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in a similar debate in the Lords, when he said the heir to the throne had shown his "prophetic instincts" in his championing of the environment and his early warnings of the threat posed by plastic pollution.

'Say cheese!': Prince Charles released two family pictures to mark his landmark birthday (AP)
'Say cheese!': Prince Charles released two family pictures to mark his landmark birthday (AP)

Earlier in the day, Charles also playfully joked about the woes of getting older.

When the prince arrived for a celebration at Spencer House, with Camilla, he was asked by the press how he felt.

He replied: “How am I feeling? Older, older.

“I’m not sure, it’s rather like indigestion, many happy returns are not quite the same thing as you get older.”