Jack's been to London to visit the Queen

Twins Keith and Jack Hurst found the Queen to be "absolutely charming". Picture / Reuters

Aucklander Jack Hurst went to London to celebrate his 80th birthday with the Queen.

Queen Elizabeth II, who turns 80 today, invited 99 people from the Commonwealth to Buckingham Palace for lunch to mark their common birth date of April 21, 1926.

Among those invited were Mr Hurst, his twin brother Keith and 97 other Commonwealth citizens.

Mr Hurst has lived in Auckland for 45 years. His wife was too ill to make the trip, so their son, who lives in Perth, accompanied him.

"It was one out of the box," Mr Hurst said of his birthday treat.

The guests were selected to attend the birthday bash by ballot after responding to calls to nominate themselves.

Keith Hurst, who lives in Warwickshire, was successful in the ballot, and he rang his brother to ask: "How about it?"

The brothers were able to chat with the Queen.

"She was absolutely charming, so natural and sincere, and mixed pretty freely with almost everybody there," Jack Hurst told Radio Live yesterday.

"I wished her all the best from all New Zealanders."

The 100 octogenarians had pre-lunch drinks in the palace foyer, followed by a banquet on a silver dinner set in the ballroom.

Guests were entertained by a 15-piece band from the Royal Scots Guard.

Mr Hurst said there was plenty of wine and the service was wonderfully organised, with five waiters for each table of 10.


Birthday lunch

The menu
* Filet de boeuf borderlaise, pommes fondantes and tian de legumes et fines herbes, with a dessert of mille-feuille au citron.

Translation:
* Roast beef with borderlaise sauce, potatoes and selected vegetables, with an upscaled version of lemon tart.

- NZPA