ABOUT ROD - News, November 16, 2008: Rod at Prince Charles’s private 60th birthday bash.

The Prince of Wales celebrated his 60th birthday last night with a star-studded dinner.
Family and friends of the heir to the throne joined him at his Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire for an evening of entertainment at the party being hosted by the Duchess of Cornwall.
Rod and Penny arrived at around 5.25pm for a 20-minute soundcheck ahead of his after-dinner performance. Comedy star Rowan Atkinson was one of the next to arrive for the party at around 7.20pm with his wife in a Rolls- Royce.
Comics Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal, better known as the Kumars At No 42, arrived together in a less flashy Peugeot.
The couple were also on the entertainment bill as Charles is said to be a fan of their show.
Chat-show host and gardener Alan Titchmarsh was also among the guests along with Sir David Frost, Sir Winston Churchhill's grandson Nicholas Soames, MP, and actresses Dame Judi Dench and Joanna Lumley. Camilla's former husband Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles arrived shortly before 8pm.
A coach party of guests were also ferried into the estate near Tetbury, along with Cotswold country set friends of Charles and Camilla.
Princes William and Harry are thought to have stayed overnight at Highgrove and their girlfriends Kate Middleton and Chelsy Davy were also thought to have made an appearance.
Late arrivals included Lord and Lady Rothschild, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and society-girl Tara Palmer-Tompkinson shortly after 8.15pm.
Rod who is is an ambassador for Prince Charles' youth charity the Prince's Trust sang his hits as a gift to the Royal host—while other celebs dined on food from Highgrove estate.
The 75 stars, were handed glasses of Highgrove-branded bubbly as they arrived, Then they dined on cheese souffle for starters, followed by beef from Charles’s Scottish Home Farm estate and Highgrove vegetables for the main course—plus a dessert of vanilla panna cotta and Highgrove fruits.
It was washed down with red wine given to the Prince as a birthday gift.
Charles was even set to give an unscripted speech before last night’s do finished at 1am today.