Elton John, alongside his husband David Furnish, hosted their annual Academy Awards viewing party at West Hollywood Park in California on March 10th.
The star-studded event saw the attendance of numerous celebrities, including Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris, and David Burtka. Among the notable guests were Heidi Klum, Elizabeth Hurley, Donatella Versace, and Prince Harry's surrogate father, David Foster, with his wife Katherine.
However, Harry and Meghan were conspicuously absent from the gathering. Notably, this was not the first time the Sussexes were left off the guest list, as they were also not invited to Elton John's Oscars party the previous year.
Royal expert Tom Bow remarked that the omission from Elton John's party signals the Sussexes' perceived insignificance in Hollywood. Despite expectations for their presence at various Academy Awards events, Harry and Meghan were nowhere to be seen. Bow stated, "They weren't even invited to Elton John's party at the Oscars. They really are nobodies in Hollywood."
The Elton John AIDS Foundation, established in 1992, is dedicated to ending the AIDS epidemic, a cause close to Princess Diana's heart. In April 1987, she courageously opened the UK's first purpose-built HIV/AIDS unit at London Middlesex Hospital. Notably, Princess Diana challenged misconceptions about the transmission of HIV/AIDS by publicly shaking hands with a man suffering from the disease, without wearing gloves, in front of the world's media.
Tickets for Elton John's annual party are available to the public, with top celebrities also receiving invites. Harry and Meghan's absence from the event followed revelations in Harry's book, "Spare," about a disagreement he had with the iconic singer during a holiday at Elton and David's French home.
Harry learned that excerpts from Elton's memoir would be serialized in the Daily Mail, a newspaper the Sussexes had previously taken legal action against. When questioned about his choice of publication, Elton explained his desire for people to read his book, leading Harry to retract his objections, stating, "I loved him. I'll always love him, and I also didn't want to spoil the holiday."
In another excerpt from "Spare," Harry recounted the emotional moment when Elton John performed at his mother's funeral in 1997. Describing the scene, Harry wrote, "He rose slowly, stiffly, as if he were one of the great kings buried for centuries beneath the Abbey, suddenly roused back to life." The singer's rendition of "Candle in the Wind," rewritten as a tribute to Princess Diana, left a lasting impression on Harry, who admitted to recurring nightmares about the event.
Reports suggest that Sir Elton maintained regular communication with Harry, even speaking with him almost daily. An insider close to the royal family revealed in 2018, "Elton speaks to Harry and Meghan every day. He's an inspiration and almost a motherly figure. He's a constant support, especially to Meghan, and is very protective of them both."
To show their appreciation for Elton, Harry and Meghan recorded a special video for his farewell concert, marking the end of his singing career. In the video, Harry expressed heartfelt gratitude, saying, "Thank you for being the friend that you were to my mom. Thank you for being our friend. Thank you for being a friend to our kids. We love you."
