Elton John Once Danced to "Rock Around the Clock" With Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne

Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images
Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images

From Town & Country

  • In his new autobiography, Me, Elton John shares a story about meeting the Queen at Prince Andrew's 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle.

  • According to the music legend, the Queen danced to "Rock Around the Clock" and didn't put her purse down at all while busting a move.


When you think of Queen Elizabeth and dancing, what comes to mind? An elegant waltz at a state dinner, perhaps? Well, prepare for that poised image to be thoroughly shattered, courtesy of none other than Sir Elton John.

In his new autobiography, simply titled Me, the iconic performer shared, among other stories, an anecdote about the night he performed at Windsor Castle for Prince Andrew's 21st birthday.

Before John's performance, there was a DJ-ed dance party in the ballroom where the music was played at a ridiculously low volume, out of respect to the Queen.

"Princess Anne asked me to dance with her to 'Hound Dog' by Elvis Presley. Well, I say 'dance'—I ended up just awkwardly shuffling from foot to foot, trying to make as little noise as I could so that I didn't drown out the music," John writes in his autobiography.

The story doesn't end there, though. John and Princess Anne were joined by Queen Elizabeth herself as Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock" played.

"So now I was trying to dance as inaudibly as possible with Princess Anne and the Queen—still holding her handbag—while what appeared to be the world's quietest disco played Bill Haley," he explained. "I tried my best to come up with a facial expression that suggested this was a perfectly normal state of affairs."

Best rock star story ever? Quite possibly.

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