Two Canadians are celebrating their 80th birthdays along with the Queen this week and were among 99 octogenarians who attended a luncheon at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.

"She was a very gracious and compassionate lady," Thomas Radford said Thursday morning of his impressions of the Queen.

Radford and Alma Dingwell were selected from hundreds of commonwealth applicants to join the Queen and Prince Philip for the three-course feast at London's most famous residence.

Radford told CTV's Canada AM the spread included roast beef with carrots, beans and potatoes, and a lemon tart for dessert.

When in doubt about his table manners in front of his royal eating companions, "we just worked from the outside in," he said.

Radford's wife, Shirley, wrote a three-paragraph letter in addition to her application for the palace lunch.

"Like I said to Shirley ... just act your natural self," Radford said.

Radford, from Winnipeg, and Dingwell, from Nova Scotia, were both born on April 21, 1926 -- the same day as Queen Elizabeth II.

Last November, Buckingham Palace announced that applications were available for commonwealth residents who shared the Queen's birthday to attend the reception.

Prospective banquet guests were nominated by themselves or relatives, and the final shortlist of 70 women and 29 men was chosen by a random draw.

Radford was nominated by his wife, Shirley, while Dingwell was nominated by her niece.

Meanwhile, Dingwell laughed as she told CTV that lots of people she knew had "stood outside" the palace.

"I tell them, 'Well, I'm going in! Ha, ha!'" she joked.

A new portrait of the Queen was also unveiled Wednesday to mark her 80th birthday -- showing her dressed all in pink and ready for the races.

The painting by Jemma Phipps captures the monarch in one of her Ascot outfits, complete with matching hat.

It was commissioned by the Duke of Devonshire to celebrate both the revamp of the famous racecourse and the queen's milestone birthday.

The image depicts a well-looking Queen, clutching white gloves and a program, with a white handbag over her arm.