Elton John's incredible life from Saturday tradition to famous godchildren as he turns 77

Legendary singer Sir Elton John, who is worth a whopping £450 million, is celebrating his 77th birthday today.

Despite facing numerous challenges in his life, including battles with drug and alcohol addiction, hip issues and a prostate cancer scare, the star is now enjoying a quieter life after retiring from touring last year.

Sir Elton met his husband David Furnish, a former advertising executive turned filmmaker, at a dinner party in 1993.

The pair entered a civil partnership in 2005 and tied the knot in 2014 when same-sex marriage became legal.

The star once told chat show host Ellen DeGeneres: "If you'd had said to me 10 years ago I'd be sitting on your show married to the man I love and have two beautiful children I would have said 'You put acid in my drink'," adding that "But life throws you challenges and life throws you curveballs - great curveballs."

To keep their bond strong, the couple has a sweet tradition of celebrating Saturdays, the day they first met.

Sir Elton explained to R&B artist 6LACK on his confessional series about love: "We write down, in like a little card that you put next to the bed: 'Happy Anniversary'.

"You write about the week that's passed and the week that's coming, you connect and you tell each other you love each other."

Elton John credits husband David Furnish for giving him a much-needed financial and emotional makeover, joking that he's like the Yoko Ono of their relationship.

"David came into my life and in the last two years has been very involved in sorting the dross that we had surrounding me," he said in 2016.

"We had so many people who were earning vast amounts of money that weren't pulling their weight. David doesn't mind being Yoko Ono but he's doing it on my behalf."

Elton and David are doting dads to sons Zachary, 14 and Elijah, 11, who they say are their "great decision I've made" and "our primary concern". "They're the things that come first and foremost," Elton said.

Despite their incredible wealth, the family of four enjoy a relatively normal life in Berkshire. Zachary is a keen footballer and a few years ago his father revealed he has a passion for fishing.

The family has also been spotted holidaying at Disneyworld.

"Before we had the children we just had our lives and we would spend money because we didn't have anything else to focus on," said Elton, who famously once spent over £40m during a 20 month period.

"I've learned that the simplest things in life, like having a minute with them, are worth more than any painting, any photograph, any house or hit record."

Sir Elton John and David Furnish are also proud pet parents to several dogs, including their labrador, Jacob, and French bulldogs, Regine and Nicole.

The iconic singer boasts an impressive circle of celebrity friends, with his ten godchildren including Romeo and Brooklyn Beckham, as well as Damian Hurley. His own sons, Zachary and Elijah, have Lady Gaga as their godmother.

Following the conclusion of his farewell tour last year, Sir Elton enjoyed a luxurious holiday on his £21 million superyacht in the South of France. He was joined by an array of famous faces, including Dame Joan Collins, actress Elizabeth Hurley, actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson and his director wife Sam, David Walliams, and Susannah Constantine.

Victoria Beckham credits watching Sir Elton perform in Las Vegas as the catalyst for her decision to leave the Spice Girls. "He performed Tiny Dancer as if it were the first time," she said in an interview with British Vogue.

"And you realised this was like oxygen for him. It was a life-changing moment - while singing and dancing was fun for you, it wasn't your passion."

The famous star was very close to Princess Diana and even played a special version of Candle In The Wind at her funeral.

He also stood up for her son, Prince Harry, when people criticised him flying on a private jet to Sir Elton's house in France.

"Prince Harry's mother, Diana, Princess Of Wales was one of my dearest friends," he shared.

"I feel a profound sense of obligation to protect Harry and his family from the unnecessary press intrusion that contributed to Diana's untimely death.

Sir Elton primarily lives in a huge mansion in Windsor, which he bought for £400,000 in 1975. It's now worth £5 million.

This stunning property has eight bedrooms, a lake, and 37 acres of land.

It was first made for King Henry VIII's doctor in the 1500s. Sadly, it burned down and had to be built again three times, with the last time being in 1947.

The Rocketman star sometimes shows us pictures of his home which he says is "tastefully over the top".

There's an amazing playroom full of superhero toys, Lego, and books. "If I weren't a musician, I would love to be a decorator," he told Architectural Digest.

He's got loads of room to decorate in his mansion - there's a library, tennis courts, a really old greenhouse, and even a private church!

Sir Elton also has a townhouse in London's Holland Park and two massive mansions in Los Angeles that form an amazing compound.

He also owns a £15m villa in Nice, South of France, where he often hosts his celebrity friends including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

An AI tool was used to bring an extra layer to this story.