Elton John wins highest accolade in Queen’s New Year Honours list
Elton John. (Faith Moran/Wireimage)
Musician Elton John has bagged himself quite the Christmas gift – the highest acknowledgement in the new year honours list.
Each year, the Queen enshrines an array of people by marking them as new members of orders of chivalry and awards them official honours across several categories, from activism to entertainment.
John was named alongside ordinary folk doing extraordinary things and household names as well as Conservative lawmaker Iain Duncan Smith, the architect of the Universal Credit system which critics note has pushed thousands into poverty and has ballooned foodbank usage to 1.6 million, statistics show.
‘2019 has turned out to be a truly wonderful year for me and I feel extraordinarily blessed.’
John saw his award get an upgrade this year, crowning an incredible decade for the pop star.
Being appointed to the Order of the Companion of Honour for a glittery, star-studded career spanning five decades after only recently reflecting on his disbelief over his life aged 72.
“I’m humbled and honoured to be among such highly esteemed company in receiving the Companion of Honour,” he wrote on Twitter following the announcement.
“2019 has turned out to be a truly wonderful year for me and I feel extraordinarily blessed.”
I’m humbled and honoured to be among such highly esteemed company in receiving the Companion of Honour.
2019 has turned out to be a truly wonderful year for me and I feel extraordinarily blessed.
Elton xx pic.twitter.com/iam3EItGYH
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) December 27, 2019
The Order of the Companion of Honour is an elite group of Britain’s most notable figures within the arts, science, and political scenes.
Moreover, the ‘Rocketman’ artist was already knighted by the royals back in 1998, with the upgrade being due to his remarkable services to music and charity.
Need the receipts for these? John has sold more than 300 million record worldwide, has promoted the work of more than 23 charities – including his own AIDS Foundation – and was named the top male solo artist of all time by Billboard this year.
Form having an entire Oscar-nominated biopic made about his life to a 300-day-long farewell tour, it’s safe to say John has rocketed out of his quaint suburban upbringing.
He’s now become one of 64 people apart from the monarch who can hold the honour at any one time.
