David Furnish gives a thumbs-up next to British pop star Elton John (right) at the Guildhall in Windsor, southern England, after their civil ceremony. Elton John tied the knot with long-term partner David Furnish yesterday, joining hundreds of gay couples in England taking advantage of a new law to formalise their relationships. - REUTERS
WINDSOR, England, (Reuters)
BRITISH POP star Elton John tied the knot with long-term partner David Furnish yesterday, joining hundreds of gay couples across England taking advantage of a new law to formalise their relationships.
After a short civil ceremony, the celebrity couple emerged into the sunlight and greeted hundreds of cheering well-wishers and the world's press, who had brought the cobbled streets of the royal town of Windsor to a standstill.
"Thank you," a beaming John mouthed to the crowds, as he stood with his arm round Canadian-born Furnish.
Two young women rushed up to the couple and presented them with a wedding cake outside the Guildhall, the same building where heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles earlier in the year.
NORMALLY FLAMBOYANT
The normally flamboyant pair surprised some pundits by wearing traditional black morning suits. The civil partnership ceremony was a small, private affair, attended by a handful of friends and with the couple's parents acting as witnesses.
The men were whisked away in a black Rolls-Royce escorted by police outriders, and will host 700 guests at a lavish evening party in the grounds of John's nearby estate.
Guests are expected to include former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and singers George Michael and Rod Stewart.
