Sir Elton John has nurtured a close relationship with the royal family for decades, but one particular encounter with the late Prince Philip left Sir Elton John slightly taken aback.
In 2019, Sir Elton revealed the encounter when writing about his passion for football in his autobiography, specifically the Watford Football Club that he became chairman of in 1976.
In a display of support for the club, the Rocketman singer purchased an Aston Martin and had it painted in the colours of the club – yellow with a red and black stripe.
Sir Elton was undeniably proud of the car, dubbing it the “chairman’s car” as he drove it to watch the club play at away games.
Prince Philip was somewhat less entertained by it as he spotted it driving around Old Windsor, although he did not know who was behind the wheel.
He was reportedly so off-put by the vehicle he became determined to find the driver and share his opinion of the car.
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At the time Sir Elton was staying in the Old Windsor area and did not realise just how eye-catching his car had become, writing: “I didn’t realise how much attention it had attracted until I was introduced to Prince Philip.”
The Prince asked if the Tiny Dancer singer lived in the area by Windsor Castle, which Sir Elton confirmed, and then questioned: “Have you seen the bloody idiot who drives around that area in his ghastly car?
“It’s bright yellow with a ridiculous stripe on it. Do you know him?”
Reluctantly the singer sheepishly revealed it was in fact his car, and rather than being shocked at the revelation the Duke of Edinburgh “seemed quite pleased to have found the idiot in question”.
Prince Philip reportedly slammed the musician saying: “What the hell are you thinking? Ridiculous. Makes you look like a bloody fool. Get rid of it.”
Although it is unclear if the star followed the royal’s wishes, he maintained a close relationship with many royal family members throughout his career. Most notable of which was his close friendship with the late Princess Diana.
The musician performed an edited version of Candle in the Wind at Diana’s funeral, and decades later also reportedly played at the wedding reception for Diana’s youngest son Prince Harry.
Sir Elton had invested countless hours and large sums of money into the club and ultimately saw it climb into the English First Division before he sold it to Jack Petchey in 1987.
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Despite the sale, the musician remained president of the club and ended up buying it back from Petchey in 1997, restoring himself to his former title.
Five years later Sir Elton would once again step down as the club now required a full-time chairman but stayed on as president again.
In 2019, Smoothradio reported that Sir Elton still had a “large financial interest” in the club, although he was no longer a majority shareholder and had worked hard to support the club over the years.
The award-winning singer held concerts at Watford stadium, with proceeds going towards the club and has since become an honorary life president, but the star is rarely seen at the actual matches in Watford’s home stadium.
He later explained to the Watford Observer that he did not like the crowds especially as the growing use of cell phones often meant he would have his picture taken when he was just trying to relax and watch the games.
In 2018, Sir Elton’s connection to the club grew even stronger as his then seven-year-old son, Zachary, joined Watford playing for the Watford Academy team.
Sir Elton’s close relationship with the royal family will mean he is likely to attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on Monday, September 19.
Following the news of Her Majesty’s death, the musician posted his heartfelt condolences on Twitter saying: “Along with the rest of the nation, I am deeply saddened to hear the news of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s passing.
“She was an inspiring presence to be around and led the country through some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace, decency and a genuine caring warmth. Queen Elizabeth has been a huge part of my life from childhood to this day, and I will miss her dearly.”
Sir Elton John’s autobiography, Me, is available here.