'Your Majesty, Mummy': Charles thanks the Queen in emotional Platinum Jubilee tribute

4 June 2022, 23:49 | Updated: 5 June 2022, 00:11

Prince Charles has thanked the Queen in a moving tribute to his "mummy" at the Platinum Party at the Palace.

He praised the monarch for being there for the nation in good times and bad for 70 years, hailing her "lifetime of selfless service".

The future king went on to say the Queen was watching at home at Windsor with "much emotion" and "immense regret" at not being there.

Addressing the Queen, he said: "You pledged to serve your whole life - you continue to deliver."

In a touching moment, Charles also spoke of his "much missed" late father, Prince Philip, calling him "My Papa" and saying he was there "in spirit" to cheers from the crowd.

The prince, who began his heartfelt speech with "Your Majesty, Mummy" just as he did at the Diamond and Golden Jubilee pop concerts, told the Queen: "You have been with us in our difficult times.

"And you bring us together to celebrate moments of pride, joy and happiness."

He added: "You have met us and talked with us. You laugh and cry with us and, most importantly, you have been there for us, for these 70 years.

"You pledged to serve your whole life - you continue to deliver. That is why we are here. That is what we celebrate tonight."

Heir to throne Charles went on to reflect on the Queen's every-growing family, which now stretches to 12 great-grandchildren, and on her dual role as sovereign and royal matriarch.

"Your family now spans four generations. You are our Head of State. And you are also our mother," he said.

Read more: Queen delights millions in Paddington Bear sketch to open Platinum Party at the Palace

It was the public, Charles said, who inspired the Queen to keep going.

"I know what really gets my mother up in the morning is all of you - watching at home," he said.

The prince declared: "The outpouring of warmth and affection over this whole Jubilee weekend - is our way of saying thank you - from your family, the country, the Commonwealth, in fact the whole world.

"On behalf of us all, I wanted to pay my own tribute to your lifetime of selfless service."

Prince William also took to the stage separately, hailing the Platinum Jubilee concert as full of "optimism and joy" as he praised the Queen for her "hope" in the future of the planet.

He paid tribute to the positive outlook of his grandmother, echoing her words from her speech to the Cop26 UN Climate Change summit, when she said working together in a "common cause" always gave rise to hope.

Speaking on stage to thousands gathered in the Mall, William said: "It's my firm hope that my grandmother's words are as true in 70 years' time as they are tonight that as nations we come together in common cause, because then there is always room for hope.

"Tonight has been full of such optimism and joy - and there is hope. Together, if we harness the very best of humankind, and restore our planet, we will protect it for our children, for our grandchildren and for future generations to come."

It came after the Queen and Paddington Bear - both much loved British institutions - joined forces for a short comic sketch to kick off the show on Saturday night.

The pair tapped out the beat of the We Will Rock You anthem together on china teacups using silver spoons as a unique way of getting the celebrations under way.

Elizabeth II and the digitally animated character met for a chaotic cream tea at 'Buckingham Palace' in the footage, with the Queen revealing she shares Paddington's love of marmalade sandwiches and keeps an emergency stash in her trademark handbag.

Paddington showed the Queen how he ensured he always had his favourite treat on him just in case, lifting up his red hat to reveal his snack.

The Queen responded by revealing "So do I" before opening her bag and declaring "I keep mine in here" to show her very own ready-made supply of the bread and orange preserve staple.

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Accident-prone Paddington was then shown causing mayhem by accidentally depriving the understanding sovereign of another cup of tea and spraying cream from a chocolate eclair over a Palace Footman.

The bear from deepest darkest Peru congratulated the Queen on her reign of 70 years, saying: "Happy Jubilee Ma'am. And thank you. For everything."

The modest Queen replied: "That's very kind."

Buckingham Palace said the Queen felt the opportunity to invite Paddington to tea was "too fun to miss".

"Her Majesty is well known for her sense of humour, so it should be no surprise that she decided to take part in tonight's sketch," the palace said.

"There was an interest in the filming and animation process and the opportunity to invite a famous bear to tea was just too much fun to miss.

"While The Queen may not be attending the concert in person, she was very keen that people understood how much it meant to her and that all those watching had a great time."

🥪 👜 Ma’amalade sandwich Your Majesty?

It was previously confirmed that the monarch, who has been facing ongoing mobility problems, would not be attending Saturday's celebrations in a bid to pace herself for the rest of the weekend.

Diana Ross, Queen + Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Hans Zimmer, George Ezra, and Eurovision 2022 runner-up Sam Ryder were among the celebrity acts entertaining a live crowd of 22,000 people and a television audience of millions.

Soul legend Ross closed the two-and-a-half hour show with her first UK live performance in 15 years.

Star including Sir David Attenborough, Emma Raducanu, David Beckham and Stephen Fry also featured, as well as a specially recorded performance from Sir Elton John.

The evening highlighted global themes that have emerged or evolved during the the Queen's reign including British and Commonwealth contributions in the fields of fashion, sport, the environment and pop music.