Prince Charles gets 60th birthday poll boost

LONDON (Reuters) - Prince Charles, one of the longest serving heirs to the throne, celebrates his 60th birthday on Friday as a poll showed more people would now prefer him, rather than his son William, to succeed the Queen.

The poll, carried out by YouGov, found 42 percent of people were in favour of him succeeding the Queen, compared to 35 percent who thought the throne should skip a generation to Prince William, Charles's elder son.

When the same question was asked in 2005, only 31 percent backed Charles, while 42 percent preferred William.

Over the years there have been suggestions Charles should renounce his claim to the throne, with many arguing that the fact he is divorced and remarried would be in conflict with the monarch's role as head of the church.

Charles was just three when his mother became Queen, making him, as her eldest son, heir to the throne. The Queen, now 82, is the oldest reigning monarch in the history of the nation and is still in good health. Her mother lived to be 101.

Only George IV, who became king in 1820, and Edward VII, who reigned from 1901, were kings-in-waiting for longer, spending 58 and 59 years respectively as heirs to the throne.

Celebrations to mark Charles's birthday included a comedy gala, featuring John Cleese, Rowan Atkinson and Robin Williams, as well as a concert and banquet at Buckingham Palace.

The Prince and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, will also host a private party at Highgrove, their Gloucestershire home, at which Rod Stewart will perform.

For the official birthday portrait, Charles wore the ceremonial uniform of the Welsh Guards, minus the headdress. He has been Colonel of the Welsh Guards since 1975.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, Editing by Steve Addison)