Royals from all over the world gathered at Buckingham Palace Thursday night, to celebrate the 60th birthday of Charles, Prince of Wales, the heir to the British throne. They all arrived by cars admist the rainy night, but inside was certainly a joyous event. 
Maybe not so for Prince Charles, as this birthday reminds him he is not yet King. The milestone also names him the waiting Prince of Wales, since the title was given back in the middle ages.
His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, hosted the bash at the London palace. Dignitaries from Britain, royals from Europe and the Middle East were among the guests.
Royal girlfriends Kate Middleton and Chelsy Davy were not in attendance. It is believed they will be at the private party at Highgrove Estate, hosted by Charles’ wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.
There was fine dining, William and Harry in tuxedoes, and the Philharmonic Orchestra.
But was the missing is something Prince Charles has been waiting a lifetime for: the throne.
It is believed the Queen intends to stay sovereign until her death. At age 82, she is in great health. In addition, her own mother lived to be 101. Many believe Queen Elizabeth II could make it just as far.
“It can’t be easy,” said historian Andrew Roberts. “Most of us can look forward to our new jobs, but the circumstances under which her reign comes to an end means that he can’t, emotionally and psychologically.”
It’s quite possible Charles will be around 80 when he finally becomes King.
But in the meantime, he has made being Prince of Wales an important role for all future heirs to the British throne.
Roberts said Charles has transformed the traditionally weak role of Prince of Wales — which the historian compared to the vice-presidency of the United States — by using it as a bully pulpit.
“He’s made a real job of it,” Roberts said. “He’s spoken out on what matters most to him, championing organic food over genetically modified crops, backing architecture that is human in scale, pursuing better relations between the Islamic world and other faiths, and starting the Prince’s Trust, which has helped many young people in trouble.”
And a prince is much more able to speak his mind than a king or queen because of constitutional restraints placed on the person heading the House of Windsor.
Besides waiting decades to become King, Prince Charles also has to deal with his sons, Princes William and Harry, taking the spotlight from him. Also, there are still many Britons out there who believe the throne should skip a generation, and go directly to William rather than Charles when the Queen dies.
But that idea will never fly, said Vernon Bogdanor, a professor of government at Oxford University who has written extensively about constitutional matters.
“That’s not possible without legislation in Britain and 15 other Commonwealth monarchies,” he said. “The monarchy is not seen as something you can choose to accept or not.”
So, for the time being, Prince Charles will remain just that – a prince. But many could say he has done that job very well.
“He’s the first heir to the throne to find a role for himself,” Bogdanor said.
“He’s connected with outsiders the politicians sometimes ignore. I think now people appreciate what he’s done. He could have sat back and done nothing.”
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