Rhiannon Hendricks
Elton John has a long history with the British royal family, particularly the late Princess Diana, with whom he shared a close friendship. John honoured Diana at her funeral with a rendition of Candle in the Wind, a song he rewrote and re-recorded for her. John attended Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011, but stated that he did not expect to be invited, as he did not know William and his brother, Prince Harry, very well. John performed at Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018, in recognition of his close connection with the prince and his family.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Elton John's attendance at Prince William's wedding | Elton John attended the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 with his husband, David Furnish. |
| Elton John's performance at Prince Harry's wedding | Elton John performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. He sang "Your Song," "Tiny Dancer," "Circle of Life," and "I'm Still Standing." |
| Elton John's relationship with the royal family | Elton John had a long and complicated relationship with Princess Diana. He also has close ties with other members of the royal family, including Prince William and Prince Harry. |
| Elton John's absence at Brooklyn Beckham's wedding | Elton John did not attend the wedding of his godson, Brooklyn Beckham, due to scheduling conflicts. |
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What You'll Learn
Elton John attended Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011
Elton John did attend Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011. He attended the ceremony with his husband, David Furnish. John had a close relationship with William's mother, Princess Diana, and he also formed strong bonds with her children.
In the lead-up to the wedding, Elton John had stated that he did not expect to receive an invite to the wedding, as he did not know William and Harry well. He said:
> "I met the boys and had lunch with them when their mother was alive. I re-met them again when I did the concert for Diana a couple of years ago — the memorial concert... They’re tremendous boys, but I don’t know them (so) it would be presumptuous of me to even talk about them. They are great boys, their mum would be very proud of them. These boys are their own people, they have their own friends, and I just hope that they have the best day and it’s sunny and it’s a great occasion for them."
Despite his initial doubts, Elton John did indeed receive an invitation to the wedding. He has had close ties with the royal family for decades, and his attendance at the wedding was a testament to his long-standing relationship with the family.
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Elton John performed at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018
John performed a revised rendition of "Candle in the Wind" at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997. He also worked with her to raise money and awareness for AIDS research.
Prince Harry reportedly introduced Elton John at his wedding by asking, "Does anyone here know how to play the piano?". John performed four songs at the lunchtime reception, including "Tiny Dancer" and "Circle of Life".
Elton John was not the only celebrity at the royal wedding. George and Amal Clooney, David and Victoria Beckham, Oprah Winfrey, and Idris Elba were also among the guests.
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Elton John's close relationship with Princess Diana
Elton John and Princess Diana had a close and meaningful friendship. They first met at Prince Andrew's 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle in 1981, where they danced the Charleston together for 20 minutes. John recalled that they "immediately clicked".
Princess Diana had a profound impact on John, and he admired her ability to make herself and others feel comfortable in her company. He noticed that she had a certain "effect" on men, which he termed the "Diana Effect". He also recognised her ability to change public attitudes, such as with her work with AIDS patients.
Their friendship was not without its challenges, and they experienced a major falling out six weeks before Diana's death. They reconciled after Gianni Versace's funeral, when Diana called John, and he later performed a heartfelt tribute to her at her funeral, singing "Candle in the Wind" with modified lyrics to honour his friend.
John's relationship with the royal family continued, and he has performed at the weddings of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and Prince William and Kate Middleton.
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Elton John's long history with the royal family
Elton John has had a long history with the British royal family. John, whose birth name is Reginald Kenneth Dwight, grew up in a working-class family in a council house in Pinner, northwest London. His relationship with the royal family began in the 1970s when he accepted an invitation to dinner at Kensington Palace from Princess Margaret, who was a huge music fan. John's growing stature in British culture, combined with the fact that he lived close to Windsor Castle, made his interactions with the royal family more frequent.
In the late 1970s, Prince Philip made fun of John's bright yellow Aston Martin, which he had painted in the colours of the Watford Football Club, of which he was chairman. John also had memorable encounters with the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and Princess Diana. John and Diana met at Prince Andrew's 21st birthday party in 1981, and they immediately clicked. John and Diana had a falling out in 1997 when she decided not to write the foreword to a rock photography book that gave its proceeds to the AIDS Foundation. They reconciled at Gianni Versace's funeral, and Diana died a few weeks later in a car crash. John performed an amended version of "Candle in the Wind" at her funeral on 31 August 1997.
John performed at three of Queen Elizabeth II's jubilees and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1996 and knighted in 1998. He also performed at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, at Westminster Abbey in 1997, the Party at the Palace in 2002, and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace in 2012. John has remained close with Diana's sons, William and Harry, defending them from press intrusion and addressing a "distorted and malicious account" of their holiday with their son Archie. Harry and Meghan showed their gratitude by recording a special video for John's goodbye concert in 2023.
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Elton John's performance at Princess Diana's funeral
Dr Carr wrote a personal plea to Buckingham Palace, urging them to reconsider, saying:
> "This is a crucial point in the service and we would urge boldness. It is where the unexpected happens and something of the modern world that the princess represented. I respectfully suggest that anything classical or choral (even a popular classic such as something by Lloyd Webber) is inappropriate. Better would be the enclosed song by Elton John (known to millions and his music was enjoyed by the princess), which would be powerful. He has written new words to the tune which is being widely played and sung throughout the nation in memorial to Diana. It is all the time on the radio. Its use here would be imaginative and generous to the millions who are feeling personally bereaved: it is popular culture at its best. If it were thought the words too sentimental (although that is by no means a bad thing given the national mood), they need not be printed – only sung."
The royal household had expressed concern that the new lyrics of the song were "too sentimental". Dr Carr conceded this point, suggesting that the lyrics did not need to be printed in the order of service. There is no record of a reply from Buckingham Palace, but John went on to perform the song, watched by 2.5 billion people.
John recalled to VH1 in 2008:
> "Me playing at the funeral was one of the most surreal things I have ever done. What was going through my mind was: 'Don't sing a wrong note. Be stoic. Don't break down and just do it to the best you can possibly do it without showing any emotion whatsoever.' My heart was beating quite a lot, I have to say."
John's performance of "Candle in the Wind 1997" at the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997 is largely considered to be one of the singer's greatest performances. It is also the only time he has performed the revised version of the song in public.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Elton John attended Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011. He attended with his husband, David Furnish.
No, Elton John did not perform at Prince William's wedding. However, he did perform at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018.
Elton John said he did not expect to be invited to Prince William's wedding, despite his close relationship with Princess Diana. He noted that he did not know William well.
