Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Rod Stewart: The Queen has always been a part of my life

The singer has spoken of his feelings about the Queen ahead of the BBC’s Jubilee Party at The Palace on Saturday.

William Janes
Friday 03 June 2022 06:06 EDT
Sir Rod Stewart says the Queen has always been a part of his life (Matt Crossick/PA)
Sir Rod Stewart says the Queen has always been a part of his life (Matt Crossick/PA) (PA Wire)

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.

Sir Rod Stewart said the Queen “has always been a part of my life” in an interview ahead of his performance at the BBC’s Jubilee Party at The Palace.

The music legend will be taking to the stage in the star-studded show outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday night along with the likes of Craig David, Alicia Keys, and Diana Ross.

Speaking to BBC News on Friday, he said: “It’s pride, it’s pride in being British, it’s the pageantry, the romance. I mean, I’ve grown up with this woman, you know, I was seven when when she came to the throne, so she’s always been part of my life, you know, and the fact that I’ve met her on several occasions makes it even more important for me.”

“She’s, as I said, she’s been so much part of my life. It’s almost, I don’t know, almost like a sister, you know. She’s always been in the background of my life”, he added.

Sir Rod, who was knighted in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to music and charity, also said the show was “nerve-wracking”, despite having played countless concerts.

He also told the programme he will be singing a song he has previously never performed and has been unable to rehearse.

Recalling a previous concert he played attended by the Queen, he said: “I’ve met her on a couple occasions. So we were doing a charity concerts at St James’s Palace for Her Majesty and the late Duke of Edinburgh.

“And they were only sitting by the band here, and they were sitting 10 yards away. Right? And they looked terrified because they thought I was going to do Do You Think I’m Sexy, Hot Legs, real loud music.

“And I started off, ‘you must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss, a smile is just a smile’. There was so relieved they beamed from ear to ear.”

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in