Elton John claims he saw the Queen playfully slap her nephew around the face: ‘Don’t argue with me, I am the Queen!’
Singer details the exchange he saw at a party in new autobiography
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Elton John has revealed he saw the Queen playfully slap her nephew Viscount Linley during a party.
The singer claims the monarch told Princess Margaret’s son: “Don’t argue with me, I am the Queen!”
In an excerpt from his new autobiography, Me, published on the Mail Online, John wrote: “I know the Queen’s public image isn’t exactly one of wild frivolity, but… in private, she could be hilarious.
“I saw her approach Viscount Linley and ask him to look in on his sister, who’d been taken ill and had retired to her room.
“When he 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!’”
He added: “That seemed to do the trick. As he left, she saw me staring at her, gave me a wink and walked off.”
In the book, John also claims he witnessed Richard Gere and Sylvester Stallone fighting over Princess Diana at a dinner party.
“The most peculiar scene developed,” he wrote. “Straight away, Richard Gere and Diana seemed very taken with each other.”
Elton went onto explain that Princess Diana was separated from Charles at the time, and that her “newly blossoming friendship” with Gere “was not going down well with Sylvester Stallone at all”.
He claimed his husband David Furnish later discovered Stallone and Gere “in the corridor, squaring up to each other, apparently about to settle their differences over Diana by having a fist-fight”.
John wrote: “After dinner, Diana and Richard Gere resumed their position together in front of the fire, and Sylvester stormed off home.
“'I never would have come,' he snapped, as David and I showed him to the door, 'if I'd known Prince f***in' Charming was gonna be here.' Then he added: 'If I'd wanted her, I would've taken her!'
Me: Elton John Official Autobiography is published by Macmillan on 15 October.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments