Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967 on more than 30 albums, John has sold more than 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists. He has more than fifty Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard Hot 100, including seven number ones in the UK and nine in the US, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums in the US. His tribute single "Candle in the Wind 1997", rewritten in dedication to Diana, Princess of Wales, sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling single in the history of the UK and US singles charts. He has also produced records and occasionally acted in films. John owned Watford F.C. from 1976 to 1987 and from 1997 to 2002. He is an honorary life president of the club.
Diana’s friendship with Freddie Mercury, her gay butler, and other moments of LGBTQ+ allyship
The Crown, entering what many believed to be a fairytale marriage to Prince Charles. Of course, that soon turned out not to be the case.Elizabeth Debicki took over the role for Season five, which explored the breakdown of the marriage and how Diana reframed herself as a humanitarian champion in the years after.How the hit show’s upcoming sixth and final season will portray the final years of Diana’s life has already prompted controversy in the UK, with some critics blasting producers for being exploitative.
There’s also the risk of offending family members who are still alive: primarily her sons, William and Harry.Others hope that it illustrates why so many members of the public loved Diana.While there’s no evidence to suggest Diana was gay herself, she did plenty to earn her gay icon status.
The princess famously raised awareness around HIV and AIDS at a time when the epidemic was cutting a swathe through the community.In fact, Diana was one of the first celebrities photographed holding the hands of AIDS patients at a time when others shunned them.Her compassion for those less fortunate inspired former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to refer to her as the “People’s Princess” in the aftermath of her death.She was known to be friendly with several gay men, including designer Gianna Versace, and musicians Elton John, George Michael and Freddie Mercury.
A post shared by Lady Diana, Princess of Wales (@lady.diana._)Perhaps because she married into the Royal Family, and her subsequent treatment when her marriage began to crumble, she was seen by some as an outsider, and a potential threat, to the British monarchy.That status as an outsider—a threat to the order of things—is one that many queer people can relate to.Let’s look at some of those reasons in more detail…It’s hard to remember how frightening AIDS was when it first began to cut people down in the 1980s.
