Elton John’s Sons Are All Grown Up in New Family Photo
Elton John’s Sons Are All Grown Up in New Family Photo
Michael NiedTue, March 3, 2026 at 3:19 PM UTC
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Elton John, David Furnish and their sons Elijah and ZacharyCredit: National Portrait Gallery/Courtesy of Catherine Opie, Regen Projects, Los Angeles and Thomas Dane Gallery -
Elton John posed for a family portrait with his husband, David Furnish, and their sons, Zachary, 15 and Elijah, 13
The photo will be put on display in London's National Portrait Gallery and features the happy family of four in their home library
John and Furnish welcomed their sons via surrogacy after entering a civil union in 2005; they married in December 2014 on their ninth anniversary
Elton John's sons, Zachary and Elijah, look like little gentleman in a newly released family portrait, which will be on display in London’s National Portrait Gallery.
The 78-year-old icon shares his children with husband David Furnish, 63. All four of the happy family and their two dogs sat together in their cozy home library for the photo.
For the photoshoot, John paired a striped eggplant suit with royal blue glasses, pearl necklaces and large rings. He finished off his outfit with a pair of lilac shoes with vibrant red soles. Furnish opted for a green suit, which he wore with a light blue shirt underneath.
Elton John, David Furnish and their sons in April 2018Credit: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty
The husbands sat together on a sofa with Furnish resting an arm on the "Rocket Man" crooner's leg. One son sat beside them on the arm of the couch, while the other sprawled out on the ground with their dogs.
Zachary, 15, and Elijah, 13, were more casually dressed, selecting for black T-shirts and matching black loafers for the occasion.
In a statement shared with The Telegraph, John and Furnish reflected on working with acclaimed photographer Catherine Opie to capture the photo three days before Christmas.
“To have our family photographed by Catherine Opie and on display at the National Portrait Gallery is a huge honor," they said, adding, “We are huge admirers of her work and proud to have her beautiful and poignant images in our collection.”
Opie agreed that it was "truly an honor" to work with the family, recalling in a statement of her own that they enjoyed lunch together before getting to business.
Elton John, David Furnish and Catherine Opie, from left, pose with the family portraitCredit: David Parry/ National Portrait Gallery
“For me, it represents the humanity of what family can be," she explained of the final product.
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Victoria Siddall, director of the National Portrait Gallery, said that she was “delighted to welcome this important portrait of the Furnish-John family by Catherine Opie into our Collection."
“It 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," she added.
Elton John, David Furnish and their sons in March 2025Credit: APU GOMES/AFP via Getty
John and Furnish fell in love after meeting via friends in 1993. Over a decade later, the musician proposed. The couple entered a civil union in December 2005, formally exchanging vows on their ninth anniversary in 2014.
By then, they'd already welcomed both of their sons, both born via surrogate. Zachary arrived on Christmas day in 2010; Elijah was born on January 11, 2013.
“All we hope is that Zachary and Elijah are healthy and happy,” Furnish told PEOPLE at the time. “They will always be able to rely on us for total love and support, and we hope they grow up to live their own lives and be who they want to be, not who we want them to be.”
A family photo from a ski trip shared by David FurnishCredit: davidfurnish/Instagram
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John described the couple's experience with fatherhood as "the greatest thing in our lives" during a 2016 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
"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.’ But life throws you challenges and life throws you curveballs — great curveballs — and these two children have come along at a time I never thought I’d have children," he said. "There’s no words to describe how much we love these boys. They’re just amazing."
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
