Inside Princess Diana and Elton John’s feud over his book targeting the royal family

Music legend Elton John and Princess Diana's friendship had been one for the books as they were known to have an unbreakable bond.

However, just months before her death, the Princess of Wales and the singing legend had a fall-out publicly.

While the two did eventually mend their ties right before her death, John wrote in his 2019 autobiography, titled Me: Elton John: “She was a very dear friend for years, and then, completely unexpectedly, we fell out.”

According to John, the princess had given him her word about writing the foreword for his coffee-table book titled Rock and Royalty that was created by their friend, Gianni Versace.

She had also, according to him, promised that she would attend the launch of the book which was at a fundraising dinner for Elton’s AIDS Foundation in February 1997.

After over $400,000 worth of tickets had already been purchased, the princess changed her mind about attending upon seeing an advance copy of the book.

Howard Hodgson wrote in his 2007-released biography, titled Charles — The Man who will be King, that it had been “foolish” of Diana to act in that way but she still had a reason.

“Given the title of the book and the author’s reputation, she was perhaps a little foolish to have left it until so late in the day — but when she had agreed to write the foreword and attend the launch she couldn’t have cared less about how the Royal Family might have regarded such a publication,” he explained.

He further mentioned how she was “horrified” to finally see the book which contained nude models juxtaposed alongside senior members of the British royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II.

While she was aware of it being ‘artistic,’ she was also aware that “it would not appeal to the more old -fashioned sensibilities of Prince Charles or his mother.”