Prince Charles celebrated his 60th birthday Friday with military gun salutes and a string of parties, even if he passes the milestone with little sign of an end to his long wait to be king. The heir to the British throne has been marking the big day all week, with a star-studded comedy show Wednesday and a black-tie gala Thursday, but spent Friday meeting young people in London.
During a visit to youth projects led by his Prince's Trust charity, he was presented with a birthday cake decorated with a mocked-up old person's travel pass - Londoners aged over 60 can travel free on public transport. Later at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, 180 school children - and his wife Camilla - sang "Happy Birthday" as part of a celebratory concert which also featured a performance by his official harpist, Claire Jones.
His birthday Friday was also marked with a 41-gun salute in London's Hyde Park - a special tribute from Queen Elizabeth II - and another 62-gun salute at the Tower of London. This followed Thursday's dinner thrown by the queen and Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace attended by over 400 European royalty and friends including King Constantine and Queen Anne Marie of Greece and singer Shirley Bassey. His sons by princess Diana, Princes William and Harry, paid tribute to their father at the event, saying he was "an inspiration to us and so many others."