‘Roses Forced to Listen to Me’ : Prince Pokes Fun at Self at 40th Birthday Bash

Prince Charles wore a bright yellow “Life Begins at 40” button, a present from his sons, as he began celebrating his birthday today amid hundreds of singing well-wishers at an English shopping mall.

A string quartet played “Happy Birthday,” and Charles reinforced his popular image as a prince of the people as he cut the first of several birthday cakes with a huge ceremonial sword at the mall in the central city of Birmingham.

To cheers and laughter, Charles delivered a parody of some of his own more eccentric interests, particularly the notion that he regularly consults the plants in his gardens.

He said that before he came to Birmingham, “an entire bed of old-fashioned roses . . . were forced to listen to my demented ramblings on the meaning of the universe as I sat cross-legged in the lotus position on the gravel paths in front of them.”

Charles said the “Life Begins at 40” button was a present from his two young sons, Prince William, 6, and Prince Harry, 4.

Collecting birthday cards as he went, the Prince of Wales inspected business projects that he helped set up for the jobless and launched a $72-million appeal for one of his favorite benefits.

He was also due to visit Handsworth--the scene of violent inner-city riots three years ago--which he has helped to regenerate.

The highlight of his Birmingham visit was to be a giant rock-and-roll street party in a refurbished streetcar shed given by more than 1,500 young people his charity has helped to find work.

The prince was then due back in London for a private tea party with his wife, Diana, and sons before a 300-guest party at Buckingham Palace given by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

The Ministry of Defense honored the heir to the British throne with promotion to captain in the Royal Navy and to group captain in the Royal Air Force.

For the royal observance, British newspapers took the day off from marital speculations and praised the prince as a compassionate family man who cares deeply about his future subjects.

The tabloids, which often portray him as estranged from Princess Diana and unhappy with his public role, said he had never been more content with his private life and good works.