NIKLAS HALLE’N/AFP via Getty ImagesContrary to reports out of the U.K., Elton John did not know about “Megxit” before the Queen did.
It’s a well-known fact that Elton is close with Prince Harry, but a report in the U.K.’s Daily Mirror claims that Harry and Meghan spoke to Elton “every day for months” before announcing their plans to step away from their roles as “senior” members of Britain’s Royal Family and become financially independent. The report claims that as a result, Elton knew about their bombshell announcement before Harry informed his grandma, Queen Elizabeth II.
However, a spokesperson for Elton tells ABC Audio, “The first that Elton heard of the details and timing of Harry and Meghan’s plans was when the announcement went up on their Instagram. It was a surprise to him.”
Insiders reportedly told the paper that Elton is “an inspiration, an almost ‘motherly’ figure” to the couple.” Another insider dished, “He is a constant support, especially to Meghan, and is very protective of them both.”
What is true is that Elton, a good friend of Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, attended the couple’s wedding and flew them to his house in France in a private jet. He paid to offset the carbon footprint of the trip and defended the couple against criticism of their use of the jet, noting they did so to “maintain a high level of much-needed protection.”
At the time, he explained that he felt “a profound sense of obligation to protect Harry and his family from the unnecessary press intrusion that contributed to Diana’s untimely death.”
Monday, the Queen issued a statement declaring, “My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family.”
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