Queen and Prince Philip are guests of honour at garden party in BERLIN

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The Queen and Prince Philip were attended a special party for her birthday at the British Ambassador's residence
Some 650 guests were entertained on the lawn during this afternoon's event attended by the President of Germany
President Joachin Gauch toasted the Queen and Prince Philip on the balcony at the start of the happy event
British Ambassador Sir Simon McDonald said he was especially proud to have the Queen attend this annual event

Published: 14:46 EST, 25 June 2015 | Updated: 17:18 EST, 25 June 2015

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Prince Philip tonight joked with guests at a birthday party held in Queen's honour at the British Ambassador's residence in Berlin that he 'forgets everyone's name nowadays'.

The Royal Couple attended the event, which was a quintessentially English garden party this evening where they were served strawberries and cream on the penultimate day of their state visit to Germany.

Wearing a Stewart Parvin shift dress of white cotton tweed flecked with coral ribbon with a matching coat edged in bias fringed braid and a hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan, the monarch spoke to hundreds of guest at the British Ambassador’s residence in Berlin despite an already gruelling day of engagements.

The Queen and Prince Philip were toasted by German President Joachin Gauch, right, during the party at the British Ambassador's residence

The Royal couple were coming to the end of a frantic three-day state visit to Germany where they attended the party with 650 people

The event in the British Ambassador's residence in Berlin was quintessentially a very English garden party to celebrate the Queen's birthday

British embassy in Berlin honours Queen with garden party

Held every year to mark The Queen’s birthday, ambassador Sir Simon McDonald was also clearly delighted to be actually hosting the monarch as his guest as he introduced her to members of the government as well as leading business and society figures and British Community representatives.

Guests had been given strict instructions about etiquette in advance – particularly over the taking of ‘selfies’ or photographs of the royal couple – and fortunately the 650 guests were impeccably behaved.

Prince Philip was on typically mischievous form, calling one military guest an ‘angler dangler’ and telling another he had a ‘terrible’ tie.

He also asked a guest who had recently returned from West Africa whether he was alright, presumably referring to the Ebola outbreak.

And despite being remarkably alert for a man of 94, he admitted to one wellwisher: ‘I’m sorry I’ve forgotten your name. I forget everyone’s name nowdays.’

The menu for the was typically British: Stilton-puffs with green tomato chutney, cottage cheese with herbs on sea salt chips, Coronation Chicken, Sage & onion scones with pulled chicken and Fish and Chips.

For desert there were strawberries and whipped cream, scones and even a digestive biscuits cake, made to a family recipe provided by the ambassador’s wife.

The Queen toured the ambassador's garden along with the German President Jaochim Gauck, left, during this afternoon's party

Some 650 people were invited to the party where they were served a range of English foods along with a selection of German beers

The Queen was introduced to actor Henning Baum, right, who appears on one of Germany's favourite TV shows The Last Cop

Naturally there was a Pimms and a glass of beautiful English Nyetimber Sparkling Wine from West-Sussex, although German beers and cloudy apple juice also sneaked onto the menu.

At the start of the party the Queen and her husband were greeted by a fanfare and later stood on the residence’s balcony where Sir Simon McDonald made a warm speech which included a joke at Prime Minister David Cameron’s expense, saying: ‘It is a tradition at a Queen's Birthday Party in Berlin for your Majesty's ambassador to report on the highlights of British-German relations in the year gone by.

This year my report is short.

‘That's not because the Embassy has been quiet - the Prime Minister has visited Germany three times - in the last four weeks.

‘No - that's because one event has eclipsed all others.

‘For us Britons, the Queen's State Visit to Germany is the outstanding highlight of an exceptional year.

‘Judging by the warmth of the welcome your Majesty and your Royal Highness received yesterday in Berlin, earlier today in Frankfurt and now in Grunewald, the people of Germany agree.

‘We are all very glad that you are here.’

Rousing renditions of both the British and German National Anthems followed and a toast to the monarch.