Sir Elton John and his family have sat for a new portrait (Picture: David Parry/ National Portrait Gallery/ PA Wire)
Sir Elton John and his family have been captured in a photograph which is now being displayed at London’s National Portrait Gallery.
The piece was taken by photographer Catherine Opie and is part of her exhibition Catherine Opie: To Be Seen.
The portrait captures the musician, 78, his husband David Furnish, 63, with their sons Zachary, 15, and Elijah, 13, as well as their two Labradors, Joseph and Jacob, at their lavish family home in Old Windsor.
Speaking about sitting for the piece, the couple shared: ‘To have our family photographed by Catherine Opie and on display at the National Portrait Gallery is a huge honour.
‘We are huge admirers of her work and proud to have her beautiful and poignant images in our collection.’
The British music legend has been in a relationship with the Canadian filmmaker since 1993, with the couple amongst the first to form a civil partnership in the United Kingdom before marrying in 2014.
It features their two children Zachary and Elijah Furnish-John; and their two Labradors, Joseph and Jacob, in their family home in Old Windsor (Picture: National Portrait Gallery/ Courtesy of Catherine Opie, Regen Projects, Los Angeles and Thomas Dane Gallery/ via PA Wire)
It features as part of Catherine Opie’s To Be Seen exhibition (Picture: David Parry/ National Portrait Gallery/ PA Wire)
They then went on to welcome their two sons from the same surrogate in 2013.
Speaking about the portrait, Opie explained: ‘I arrived at Elton and David’s house three days before Christmas. I met the boys and the dogs and after a great lunch together, I made this family portrait of them in their library.
‘It is truly an honour to photograph Elton, David, Zachary and Elijah. For me, it represents the humanity of what family can be.’
National Portrait Gallery director Victoria Siddall said the collection existed to ‘share portraits of the people who have shaped the history and culture of the UK, from the Tudor times to today’.
‘The people on our walls, and the stories we tell about them, are a source of inspiration for the millions of people who come through our doors, and particularly the many young people who visit every year,’ she continued.
She went on to say the portrait ‘celebrates not only Sir Elton John’s extraordinary achievements in music but also the vital humanitarian and philanthropic work that he and David have undertaken in recent decades, and the family they have built together.’
Sir Elton and David Furnish’s sons have been seen in public more over the past year (Picture: Apu GOMES/ AFP)
Sir Elton and David have been long-time advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and have campaigned to tackle HIV/Aids including through the Elton John Aids foundation, which has raised over £300million since it was founded in 1992.
Two years ago, the couple also opened their private photography collection for the Fragile Beauty exhibition at the V&A – which displayed images across subjects such as fashion, celebrity, reportage and the male body.
Earlier this year Sir Elton also shared a photo of his sons’ faces on social media for the first time.
Since their births, the boys have featured on Sir Elton and David’s social media accounts, but only in photos with their backs to the camera or with their faces obscured.
The couple have been together since 1993 (Picture: Alan Davidson/ Shutterstock)
But following New Year’s Eve celebrations, Sir Elton posted a family photo taken at a party hosted by Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace in London.
Although Sir Elton and David have largely kept their sons out of the public eye, the performer offered a rare insight into his family life and how he decided to retire from touring two years ago due to wanting to spend more time with them.
‘For me personally, I’ve had an amazing life, great career,’ he told Andy Cohen in 2024.
‘Incredible achievements, music, blah, blah, blah, but I would say that our sons, and David, are the most important things to me.’
‘That’s why I came off the road, to be able to spend the latter part of my life being there for them.’
Meanwhile David told Entertainment Tonight that same year that they both didn’t want to miss any of their sons’ milestone moments as they were going into ‘a key decade of a child’s life’.
Sir Elton retired from touring a few years ago to spend more time with his teenage sons (Picture: Kevin Kane/ Getty Images for RRHOF)
Speaking about his husband’s career, he added: ‘He’s been doing it for like 60 years. So, it’s nice to have that time to spend at home with family.’
Meanwhile in the 2024 documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, he also spoke about how their sons ‘not interested in being in the limelight’ too. However, when reflecting on his health he admitted that he probably ‘wasn’t going to be around’ to see his children get married.
While emotional David admitted: ‘That really upset me, because in my mind I sort of think Elton is going to live for ever – we all think that – and Elton is so vibrant that it’s an easy thing to believe, but it forces you to confront that reality.’
A few years earlier Sir Elton – who is worth an estimated £320million – also told OK! Magazine he was raising his sons ‘working’ class.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Arrow
MORE: Boots drops unmissable Mother’s Day beauty box for just £60 – and worth a whopping £310
Arrow
MORE: Amazon Spring Deals Day 2026 confirmed with big discounts across tech and beauty
Arrow
MORE: Smeg’s new microwave gives a retro glow‑up to the kitchen’s most‑used appliance
Comments
Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google
Add as preferred source
Puzzles Newsletter
Get your favourite puzzles when they are ready to play on the website sent directly to you every day and track your daily streak!