ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Elton John receives elite royal honour from Prince Charles

Share
LONDON -

Elton John has no doubt been a member of many exclusive clubs over the decades, but probably nothing quite as exclusive as the one he formally joined on Wednesday.

In an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, Prince Charles anointed the musician and charity patron as a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour.

It is one of the highest awards that can be bestowed by Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to citizens in Britain and across the Commonwealth. The 95-year-old monarch is also a member of the order.

Introduced in 1917 by her grandfather King George V, the award recognizes people who have made "a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine, or government lasting over a long period of time."

Current members include British environmentalist David Attenborough, Canadian author Margaret Atwood and one of Britain's greatest-ever athletes Sebastian Coe.

The group, which in the past has included British wartime prime minister Winston Churchill and scientist Stephen Hawking, can only number a maximum of 65, excluding the sovereign, at any one time.

"I was quite taken aback when I got the letter to say that I'd received it because I know it's, very few people get it," John said after receiving the gold medallion with the inscription "In action faithful and in honour clear."

John, who was knighted by the queen in 1998, a year after the death of his friend Diana, the Princess of Wales, joined the Companions of Honour in the queen's honours list in late 2019 for his services to music and charity.

The 74-year-old singer-songwriter, who walked with the aid of an ornate stick after recent hip surgery, reflected on a career that has seen him release a hit single in every decade since the 1970s, including "Your Song," "Rocketman" and "Candle in the Wind." He also took a leading role in a number of charities, notably the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

"I've had an amazing life, music has been my life, and I got this for music and for work for charity," said John who was accompanied by his husband David Furnish. "So this is just a reminder that there's more to do. More work to do for music, more work to do for charity and life is great -- I'm so lucky."

His farewell tour has been pushed back and will kick off next year, but it's clear he's more than just still standing despite the operation on his right hip.

"I've had a hip replacement but I'm full of beans and I'm full of zest, but this is just a prompter to say 'come on you've got more to do now'," he said.

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

Local Spotlight

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.