Elton's Memoir: John Says He Once Saw 'Hilarious' Queen Elizabeth Playfully Slap Her Nephew!
Oct. 8 2019, Updated 3:58 p.m. ET
Elton John’s new memoir is off to a good start.
The English singer — who’s long been close with the royal family — talks in length about his late friend, Princess Diana, and her relatives, in his upcoming autobiography, “Me.”
Recalling a star-studded London dinner party hosted for former Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg, Elton, 72, writes that Diana was the star of the show, and was being aggressively pursued by Hollywood actors Richard Gere and Sylvester Stallone.
“Straight away, Richard Gere and Diana seemed very taken with each other,” he writes, explaining that at the time, Diana was separated from Prince Charles and Richard had ended his relationship with supermodel Cindy Crawford.
“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,” Elton adds. “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.”
When it was time for dinner, Elton noticed both Richard and Sylvester were outside, getting ready to fight over Diana!
The singer’s now-husband, David Furnish discovered the actors “squaring up to each other, apparently about to settle their differences over Diana by having a fist-fight.”
David broke things up, but the big screen hunks held on to the tension for the rest of the evening.
“After dinner, Diana and Richard Gere resumed their position together in front of the fire, and Sylvester stormed off home,” John writes, adding that the actor yelled that he “never would have come” if he knew “Prince f***in’ Charming was gonna be here.’ “
Also in his memoir, Elton talks about Queen Elizabeth’s lighthearted and comical behind-the-scenes personality.
In his book, he recalls an incident during which he witnessed the monarch playfully slapped her nephew, Viscount Linley, across the face after he disobeyed her instructions to check on his sister, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, who was sick at a party.
“When he Linley 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!’ ” John writes.
DAILY. BREAKING. CELEBRITY NEWS. ALL FREE.
Viscount then ran off to followed his aunt’s instructions.
The Queen, noticing that Elton had seen the interaction, winked at him and walked away.
“I know the Queen’s public image isn’t exactly one of wild frivolity, but… in private she could be hilarious,” John writes
In his memoir, the musician talks fondly of the royals, particularly Diana. He even addresses their temporary falling out, saying that the longtime friends reconciled six weeks before her untimely death.
“She was very much loved,” he said. “She was a controversial figure in some respects, but not to me. I loved her because she did so much for AIDS and she was a great friend to me.”
Elton’s friendship with the royal family has continued after Diana’s passing. This August, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited his home in Nice with baby Archie Harrison.
Elton Jon’s autobiography, “Me,” is set to be published on October 15.