“We’re still standing,” the King told Elton John on his 78th birthday. “I’m still sitting,” Elton replied

Forty years after Elton John played “I’m Still Standing” at a charity gala for the then Prince Charles, the King has handed the song back to him as a punchline.

Charles was a guest on a special edition of Elton John’s Rocket Hour, the weekly show the singer has hosted on Apple Music 1 since 2015. It aired on Saturday, the King’s 78th birthday, and was built around 50 years of The King’s Trust and the musicians who have played for it.

Recalling the 1986 Rock Gala at Wembley Arena, the King said that “40 years on from that remarkable concert, we and the Trust are definitely still standing”.

Elton, who turned 79 in March, had a better line. “I’m still sitting now, though,” he said.

The King laughed and admitted there were “occasional bits dropping off here and there”, adding that growing older was a terrible problem.

Why is this more than a birthday clip?

Because both men have spent the past few years in public view with their health. The King is still undergoing treatment for cancer, first disclosed in 2024. Elton has spoken about losing much of his sight after an eye infection. Two of Britain’s most recognisable men joking about their bodies wearing out, on the King’s birthday, is about as candid as the monarchy gets.

It is also a reminder of how long the pair go back. Elton was playing for the King’s charity four decades ago and is still part of its story, and the Trust has relied on rock and pop stars to raise money since its early years.

What is The King’s Trust?

Charles founded it in 1976 as the Prince’s Trust, using his severance pay from the Royal Navy, to help disadvantaged young people find work, train for jobs or start businesses. It took its new name after he became King in 2022. The charity says it has supported more than one million young people.

The Rocket Hour special featured musicians the Trust has helped along the way, alongside the King’s conversation with its host.

Where can you hear it?

The episode is on Apple Music 1, where Rocket Hour airs worldwide and is available to stream afterwards. Australian listeners can find it on the Apple Music app.

What does the King’s birthday mean in Australia?

Not a public holiday: Australia marks the King’s Birthday on a separate date, in June in most states, September in Western Australia and October in Queensland. 14 November is his actual birthday, and Charles is King of Australia as well as of the United Kingdom.