Prince Charles just celebrated his 70th birthday, and his mom Queen Elizabeth gave a special speech in his honor.
The family celebrated Charles, the heir to the throne, with a birthday party at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. The official website for the royal family shared the toast the Queen gave for her son.
"It is a privilege for any mother to be able to propose a toast to her son on his 70th birthday," the Queen said. "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 favor — planting a tree and being able to watch it grow."
If his parents are any example, the Prince of Wales has many more years of life to look forward to. Queen Elizabeth is 92 years old, while her husband, Prince Philip, is 97.
The Queen's speech went on to praise Charles' dedication to his family, the environment, and the arts. Scroll through to read more of the moving (and unusually personal) toast!
Prince Charles turned 70 years old on Thursday, and the royal family threw a birthday bash at Buckingham Palace to mark the occasion.
Queen Elizabeth paid tribute to her son with a sweet speech.
"It is a privilege for any mother to be able to propose a toast to her son on his 70th birthday," the 92-year-old monarch began.
"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 favor — planting a tree and being able to watch it grow."
The Queen continued on, even making a funny joke about her son's age.
"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," the Queen went on.
"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 Queen said. According to People, this was a joking reference to the company that Charles founded in 1990 to sell organic food products.
"To you Charles. To the Prince of Wales."
People reports that many members of the royal family came to the party, including Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle.
Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, and other members of the royal family also attended.
At 70 years old, Prince Charles is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth, making him the heir to the throne and the future king of England. For now, his title is the Prince of Wales.
He and his late ex-wife, Princess Diana, are the parents of Prince William and Prince Harry.
And in 2005, Prince Charles married his long-time love Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.
As a future king, Prince Charles remains forever busy with his royal duties, like his recent visit to the London Ambulance headquarters.
Prince Charles is also often on royal tours. He and Camilla just wrapped up a royal tour across West Africa, visiting Ghana, Nigeria, and Gambia.
Happy birthday to the future king of England!
