sir Elton John paid a flying visit to Sicily to serenade his close friend I love Lipa and her new husband Callum Turner at their wedding on Saturday.
However, it was reported that the 79-year-old was ‘struggling to see’ during the performance as his eye problems continue.
The A-List couple tied the knot in a low key ceremony at Marylebone Town Hall in London last weekend before flying to Italy for three days of celebrations with their friends and family, culminating in a second wedding at Villa Valguarnera in Bagheria, east of Palermo.
And in a ‘very emotional’ moment, the 30-year-old bride’s best friend Elton performed his classic hit Your Song at the couple’s request, having flown to Italy on a private jet in time to sing at the ceremony.
But insiders said Sir Elton was struggling with his eyesight and had to be guided to the piano by two assistants.
They added in sun: ‘He played and sang wonderfully, but he looked weak and needed help.’
Sir Elton and his husband David Furnish, 63, were then pictured leaving Palermo Airport on Sunday by private jet, taking them back to Farnborough, 18 miles from their home in Windsor.
Sir Elton was seen being led in by David’s hand as they arrived, before being seated during their check-in – he also gave a happy wave after spotting the photographers.
The publication claims the overnight return flight will have cost £50,000.
The I’m Still Standing singer has opened up about the problems his failing eyesight has caused. revealing he had had a ‘challenging’ time in November, after losing sight in his right eye.
He first got an eye infection while in France in the summer of 2024, which left him blind in his right eye – a situation he describes as ‘devastating’.
However, the star is still determined to remain optimistic about his long-term prospects.
‘It has been devastating. “Because I lost my right eye and my left eye is not so good, the last 15 months have been challenging for me because I haven’t been able to see anything, watch anything, read anything,” the music icon said. Variety at that time.
But he added: “I’ve had the most incredible life and there is hope. I just have to be patient that one day science will help me with this. Once they help me with this, I’ll be fine.”
“It’s exactly like the AIDS situation. You have to not give up hope, you have to be stoic, you have to be strong and you have to always try to knock on the door to make things better.’
Husband David has also maintained an optimistic view, revealing last year that ‘there has been some improvement in his left eye’ with the treatments they have been following, but ‘because there is damage to the retina in his right eye, the retinas don’t heal naturally, so it is an evolving area of science’.
Sir Elton praised his ‘wonderful family’ and famous friends, including Sir Paul McCartneySir Mick Jagger AND Keith Richards for keeping his spirits up.
It also didn’t stop the star from performing – despite pulling out of the tour in 2023 – as he performed at the Singapore Grand Prix and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before Christmas, ahead of his private engagement to Dua and Callum, 36.
He and Dua collaborated on the hit song Cold Heart (Pnau Remix) in 2021, reaching number one – which marked their third chart-topper at the time and their eighth (and first in 16 years).
And Sir Elton wasn’t the only famous face providing music for the happy couple’s celebrations, as DJs Carl Cox, Martin Garrix, David Guetta and Peggy Gou also performed.
Saturday’s event also included a 10-minute fireworks display around 11:30 p.m., following Thursday’s yacht party and Friday’s festivities at the Galleria Moderna, all part of £1.5 million in the second half of their wedding.
Metro has contacted Sir Elton John’s representatives for comment.
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