Sir Elton John honoured by Prince Charles
Image: Aaron Chown
Sir Elton John has been seen publicly for the first time since his recent hip surgery.
Spotted with a walking stick, the 74-year-old singer met Prince Charles at Windsor Castle to be included into an exclusive club during an investiture held on Wednesday.
The Rockstar and charity patron was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour – one of the Queen’s highest awards, given to citizens in Britian and across the Commonwealth.
The 95-year-old monarch is also a member of the order, which can only have a maximum of 65 people, excluding the sovereign, at any one time.
Introduced in 1917, by her grandfather King George V, the award recognises people who have made a “major contribution to the arts, science, medicine, or government lasting over a long period of time.”
Current members include British environmentalist David Attenborough, Canadian author Margaret Atwood and Sebastian Coe, one of Britain’s greatest-ever athletes.
In the past, the group has included British wartime prime minister Winston Churchill and scientist Stephen Hawking.
Elton John was first Knighted by the Queen in 1998, a year after the death of his friend Princess Diana.
He joined the Companions of Honour after being named in the Queen’s Honours list in late 2019 for his services to music and charity.
Following the ceremony, John posed with his husband David Furnish on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
“I’ve had an amazing life, music has been my life, and I got this for music and for work for charity,” he said, reflecting on his career and the honour.
"So this is just a reminder that there's more to do. More work to do for music, more work to do for charity and life is great — I'm so lucky."
The singer has been one of the few artists to release a hit single in every decade since the 1970s, including Your Song, Rocketman and Candle in the Wind.