King Charles Jokes With Elton John About the Problems of Ageing as He Celebrates His 78th Birthday

A birthday chat with Elton John turned into a hilarious moment for King Charles, who had a few things to say about getting older.

King Charles turned 78 today, and to celebrate the milestone, he joined forces with none other than Sir Elton John for a special radio broadcast. The two covered plenty of ground during the show, but one particularly amusing moment came when they found themselves talking about the realities of getting older.

Charles appeared on Elton's Apple Music show, Rocket Hour, where their conversation touched on the importance of music to The King's Trust. He reflected on the lasting magic of The Beatles' All You Need Is Love and chose Elton's own hit I'm Still Standing, explaining that its message of resilience made it a particularly meaningful pick. The charity is marking its 50th anniversary this year, and the King couldn't resist a playful nod to Elton's hit, saying, “We and the Trust are definitely still standing.”

The conversation also took a humorous turn when Elton joked about his own experience of ageing, saying, "I’m still sitting now, though". Charles joined in on the joke, replying, "With occasional bits dropping off here and there. I know this is a terrible problem as we get older."

Turning to another of Elton's famous hits, Your Song, the King said, “I think, in the words of another of your famous songs, I hope you don’t mind, but I would like us to play one of your own pieces which takes us back to 1986 and the Rock Gala at Wembley Arena for the 10th anniversary of my Trust.”