The royal family and their friends were out in full force on Wednesday night to celebrate Prince Charles' 70th birthday.

Queen Elizabeth II hosted a fancy private bash for her eldest son at the Buckingham Palace, and she took the opportunity to deliver an emotional toast during dinner.

Her Majesty, who rarely opens up about her children in public, shared some heartfelt words about the Prince of Wales, not as Queen but as a proud mother.

The 92-year-old monarch touched on just how special it is to be able to celebrate her son becoming a septuagenarian, and we're sure there were very few dry eyes in the room.

"It is a privilege for any mother to be able to propose a toast to her son on his 70th birthday," 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 favor"”planting a tree and being able to watch it grow," she added, referring to Charles' love for all-things nature-related.

The Queen also reflected on her own 70th birthday in 1996, and what it was like to have her mother, who died six year later, beside her.

"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,"

Many royal watchers found the monarch's speech significant because not only did she recognize Charles as a doting father, she also praised Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who has been one of the family's most controversial figures.

Although it is rumored that Charles may take the throne once his mother turns 95, he did admit that he may start slowing down a bit.

"You may see it, slowly but surely," Charles told the press, but Camilla chimed in: "I doubt it."

The heir has been dubbed the "hardest working royal" in the last couple of years. In 2017, Charles attended 546 engagements, and he may beat that record this year.

If his mother and grandmother are any indication, Charles will be keeping busy for years to come.