Prince holds two birthday bashes

Good to see there's one person who isn't effected by the global financial crisis. The Prince of Wales is planning not one but two lavish parties to mark his 60th birthday in November. The first will be a state banquet, hosted by the Queen and attended by around 170 guests, at Buckingham Palace on November 13 (his birthday is the next day). This will be followed two days later by a celebration for 75 of Charles's closest friends and family at his Gloucestershire home, Highgrove. The prince has kept his diary clear between the two events, presumably so he can recover.

Palace officials are quick to point out that this Marie Antoinette-style indulgence is not the prince's idea – it has, apparently, been forced on him by friends and party-mad relatives.   

That said, the party at the palace is being organised by his personal aide Michael Fawcett, who has a reputation for extravagance. There will be a concert before the banquet. Guests will include the Queen, Prince Philip, William and Harry and most of the senior royals, along with the Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah and a string of dignitaries.

The Highgrove bash will be more intimate – "very much Camilla's own", according to a source speaking to the Daily Mail. Charles's 61-year-old wife Camilla has been closely involved in planning the event, which will be attended by some of the prince's celebrity friends, including Meera Syal and Stephen Fry.

The prince's birthday will also be marked by two television programmes, a fly-on-the-wall BBC documentary about his working life and an ITV variety show. ·