Elton John and David Furnish will tie the knot at the weekend, following the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Britain. A spokesperson for the couple, who have been together for more than two decades and are parents to sons Zachary and Elijah, confirmed that they would marry in a private ceremony. Same-sex couple have been able to marry in Britain since March; previously they could form civil partnerships, which carried the same legal status as marriage but without the title.
Elton John and David Furnish will marry in a private ceremony at the weekend
Elton, 67, and David, 52, entered into a civil partnership in December 2005, which they celebrated with a star-studded reception in Windsor, attended by stars including David and Victoria Beckham, Elizabeth Hurley and Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. In March, shortly the legalisation of same-sex marriage came in, Elton confirmed to Matt Lauer that the couple were planning a quiet wedding, and that their children would be present. "For this legislation to come through is joyous and we should celebrate it," Elton said. "We shouldn't just say, 'Oh well, we have a civil partnership, we're not going to bother to get married'."
The couple are parents to two sons, Zachary and Elijah
In a separate interview around the same time, David confirmed to Attitude magazine that the couple would tie the knot: "Elton and I will marry," he said. "As a high-profile couple, we feel it is our duty to do it to make sure that everyone knows this is something that many gay men living in this country never dreamed would happen." Elton and David first met in 1993. Their son Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John was born via surrogate in December 2010, followed by Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John in January 2013.