Queen Elizabeth hailed Prince Charles a "dedicated and respected heir to the throne" at his birthday party at Buckingham Palace

Charles' wife, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, Prince William and Duchess Catherine and Prince Philip were among those in attendance.

During a lengthy speech in honour of the first in line to the throne, the Queen hailed her eldest child a "wonderful father" and applauded him for his charity and conservation work.

She said: "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."

Complimenting Charles' wife, Camila, and calling him "his own man", she continued: "Most of all, sustained by his wife Camilla, he is his own man, passionate and creative."

Elizabeth even made a quip about Charles' age.

She 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 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."

The Queen then referred to her son as a "Duchy Original", in a nod to the organic food company he launched in 1990.

Leading the room into a toast, she said: "So this toast is to wish a happy birthday to my son, in every respect a Duchy original."

Other guests included newlyweds Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank - who tied the knot last month - and Charles' niece Zara Tindall.

Crown Princess of Denmark Mary and her husband Frederick, Prince Albert of Monaco, Queen Sonja of Norway and Greece's Queen Sophia also made the special trip for the royal's milestone birthday.