Elton John's Tribute To The Queen Includes Unheard Details About Their Relationship

When you think of Princess Diana's funeral, it's hard not to imagine a young Prince William and Prince Harry walking behind her coffin, or hear Sir Elton John singing "A Candle In The Wind." While the pop culture icon might not be as prominently placed in this royal funeral, it's clear from his touching tributes that Elton John is mourning Queen Elizabeth II like the rest of us.

The "Rocket Man" singer's connection to the royal family hasn't waned over the years since, either. In his 2019 memoir "Me," he wrote that his first personal interaction with the family was a dinner with Princess Margaret when her then-husband, Lord Snowden, stormed in demanding his own dinner. "They had a huge row," he wrote, adding that the princess "fled the room" after.

However, the combination of close proximity to Windsor Castle and the fact that his popularity was constantly increasing meant that this wasn't the last personal invitation John received. It was at one of Prince Andrew's 21st birthday parties that the singer says he met Princess Diana for the first time, as well as shared a dance with Princess Anne and the queen (via the Mirror).

At another party for Andrew, the Mirror reports the singer wrote in his memoir that he saw the queen slap her nephew, Viscount Linley, five times after finding out he hadn't looked in on his mother, Princess Margaret, like the queen had asked.

Amidst the new flood of tributes to Queen Elizabeth on the day of her funeral, Sir Elton John's Instagram post stood out. To his 4.2 million followers, he wrote about how the queen had honored him with "a CBE, a knighthood, and the Companion of Honor." He also said he felt "lucky" to have performed at three of her jubilees which he wrote "were always joyous and humbling experiences."

His favorite memory of the queen, however, was a private one. "But it was the moments out of the public eye that I will most fondly remember her for; dancing together to 'Rock Around the Clock' at Windsor Castle," he said, "or experiencing her great wit, warmth and humor first hand." With the post, he included two pictures: one from the queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977 and the other from the queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert in 2012.

The singer had already paid tribute to the late queen at his September 8 concert at the Rogers Center in Toronto — the same day the queen died. According to NBC's "Today," he told the crowd that Queen Elizabeth "was an inspiring prescience to be around." He added, "She led the country through some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace and decency and genuine caring warmth." Videos show he ended his speech with an emotional performance of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me."