Sir Elton John has signalled his allegiance in the ongoing rift between King Charles, Prince Harry and Prince William by appearing publicly alongside the monarch at a King's Trust event.
The Rocket Man singer, who had previously supported the Duke of Sussex following Megxit, was photographed celebrating the King's Trust with Charles in London. The charity hosted a music workshop for young people at Battersea Power Station as part of the King's Trust Creative Labs collaboration with Apple.
Public appearance with the King
In the new images, Elton and his husband David Furnish were seen clapping along with the monarch. Elton wore a dark green suit with matching glasses, while the King appeared in blue pinstripes. The pair joined a music session before attending a sound check together.
The appearance marked the King's first public engagement since his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor launched legal action against Thames Valley Police over his arrest. Charles has confirmed he will not fund his brother's lawsuit.
Fallout with the Sussexes
The event comes after reports that Elton had told Harry "I am not a bank" when the Duke sought financial assistance for a funding shortfall in his Invictus Games. The pair had been staying at Elton's house in the south of France, where sources said the singer had "had enough of the wayward and hot-tempered prince".
Relations soured further after Elton and Harry, alongside other high-profile claimants, lost their High Court case against the publishers of the Daily Mail. In August, Elton and Harry were among those ordered to make a £9.54 million interim payment. Other claimants included David Furnish and actors Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost.
Clear message to Harry
Elton's decision to meet with the King while skipping public appearances with Harry and Meghan, who have returned to the UK, underscores his distancing from the Sussexes. The move is a visible snub to the Duke, who had counted the singer among the last vestiges of fame the couple could cling to in England after leaving Montecito.
