PHOTOSElton John Reveals He Saw Queen Elizabeth Playfully Hit Her Nephew At A Party
Oct. 8 2019, Published 6:19 p.m. ET
Elton John revealed that he’s seen a surprising side of Queen Elizabeth II. In his upcoming memoir, Me, the Grammy Award-winning artist wrote about a time he allegedly saw Her Royal Highness playfully slap her nephew, Viscount Linley, across the face. Elton, 72, also wrote about his friendship with Princess Diana, and a party where Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere came very close to fighting over her affection.
In the book, Elton explained that Viscount, 57, was instructed by the Queen to check on his sister, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, after she became ill at a party. According to Elton, he ignored the Queen, which led to her playfully hitting him. “When he Viscount repeatedly tried to fob her off, the Queen lightly slapped him across the face, saying ‘Don’t’ — slap — ‘argue’ — slap — ‘with’ — slap — ‘me’ — slap — ‘I’ — slap — ‘am’ — slap — ‘THE QUEEN!’” the “Bennie and the Jets” singer recalled.
When Viscount finally went to check in on Sarah, 55, the Queen noticed that Elton witnessed the unexpected interaction. She winked at him, and then walked away. “I know the Queen’s public image isn’t exactly one of wild frivolity, but… in private she could be hilarious,” Elton quipped. The Academy Award winner was also very close with Princess Diana.
During a dinner party Elton held in the 1990s while he worked on the music for The Lion King, he claimed Richard, now 70, and Sylvester, now 73, come close to “duking it out” over Princess Diana. “Straight away, Richard Gere and Diana seemed very taken with each other,” Elton wrote. Diana was separated from Princes Charles and the Pretty Woman actor ended things with Cindy Crawford.
He added, “As the rest of us chatted, I couldn’t help notice a strange atmosphere in the room. Judging by the kind of looks he kept shooting them, Diana and Richard Gere’s newly blossoming friendship was not going down well with Sylvester Stallone at all. I think he may have turned up to the party with the express intention of picking Diana up, only to find his plans for the evening ruined.”
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The “Rocket Man” singer’s now-husband David Furnish found Richard and Sylvester in another room, “squaring up to each other, apparently about to settle their differences over Diana by having a fist-fight.” Even though things never escalated to a physical fight, Elton claimed that tensions still ran high.
“After dinner, Diana and Richard Gere resumed their position together in front of the fire, and Sylvester stormed off home,” Elton wrote. He added that the Rocky star yelled that he “never would have come” if he knew “Prince f**kin’ Charming was gonna be here.’”
Elton’s autobiography Me is slated for publication on October 15.
What do you think of Elton’s story about Queen Elizabeth? Sound off in the comments below!
