The singer has a long history with the royal family.
Elton John is paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. The 75-year-old British singer, who was knighted by the late monarch in 1998, reflected on her life and legacy during his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour stop in Toronto, Canada, on Thursday. His comments came the same day that Queen Elizabeth died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She was 96.
"We have the saddest news about the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth," he told the crowd. "She was an inspiring person to be around. I’ve been around her and she was fantastic. She led the country though some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace, decency and a genuine care and warmth."
"I’m 75, she’s been with me all my life and I feel very sad that she won’t be with me anymore. I’m glad she’s at peace, and I’m glad she’s at rest, and she deserves it. She’s worked bloody hard," John continued. "I send my love to her family and loved ones. She will be missed, but her spirit lives on and we celebrate her life tonight with music."
Immediately after news of Queen Elizabeth's death broke, John released a statement on Instagram.
"Along with the rest of the nation, I am deeply saddened to hear the news of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's passing," he wrote in part. "... Queen Elizabeth has been a huge part of my life from childhood to this day, and I will miss her dearly."
John's relationship with the royals began back in the '70s, when the late Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth's sister, invited him to dinner at Kensington Palace, Time, citing John's 2019 autobiography, Me, reports.
Given that he lived near Windsor Castle, John's relationship with the royals grew from there. He even attended Prince Andrew's 21st birthday party, where he first met Princess Diana, per the outlet.
The pair had a great friendship, but they fell out when the royal dropped out of writing the foreword to a rock photography book that gave its proceeds to the AIDS Foundation, per the outlet. They reconciled at Gianni Versace’s funeral in July 1997, the outlet reports, but the Princess of Wales died in a car accident the next month.
John performed an updated version of his 1973 song, "Candle in the Wind," at her funeral. He was knighted the next year by Queen Elizabeth.
Today, John has a relationship with both Prince William and Prince Harry, and attended their weddings to Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, respectively.
For updates on Queen Elizabeth's death, visit ET's ongoing coverage here.
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