In addition to his catalogue of hits, Elton John has also distinguished himself through his charitable enterprises — most notably his Elton John AIDS Foundation, which funds medical and education efforts worldwide in a mission to eradicate the disease in this century. Of course, he has long been a favorite musician of the royal family, most particularly Princess Margaret, the Queen Mother, and Princess Diana, with whom he had a close friendship (via Biography). After the princess's tragic death in a car crash, John was invited to perform at her funeral, and he played a revised version of "Candle in the Wind" with lyrics reflecting Diana's legacy.
The award announcement was met with hundreds of congratulatory messages from fans, who raved that the honor was well deserved. A supporter on Twitter said, "Congratulations to an international institution that is Elton John ... thank you for the music and all the hard work and awareness." An Instagram follower took note of Sir Elton's uncharacteristically subdued outfit: "Impressed with the only bling on show is a very well and richly deserved medal!" And John's longtime lyricist, Bernie Taupin, wrote simply, "Wow congratulations," with a heart emoji.
But the most heartwarming congratulations of all was from John's husband, David Furnish, who posted the pics from the ceremony and wrote, "The most magical morning accompanying Elton as he collected his Companion of Honour at Windsor Castle. So richly deserved. Congratulations my darling, I'm so proud of you."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEpaCsrF6YvK57lW5vbm5jZMSpxYyeo62nnmK3sLTNrGSlmaSawLV50aiwmqRdlsSivsNmn5qrXZuur7%2BMoqVmmV2bv6a62bJm