Elton John's husband shares never-before-seen family photo with their sons as babies

Sir Elton John and David Furnish's two sons have remained largely out of the spotlight, with the singer asking for fans to respect his private life.

But earlier this week, proud dad Furnish took to Instagram to give fans a rare glimpse of Zachary, 11, and Elijah, nine, when they were babies.

Zachary, who was a toddler when the snap was taken, can be seen sitting on Furnish's shoulders, while baby Elijah is being held in John's arms.

Both parents are beaming with joy in the sunny snap.

Alongside the photos, the 59-year-old wrote: "Happy Father’s Day ❤️🚀 Where has the time gone?!

"Can’t imagine our life without our beautiful and brilliant sons."

Elton and David, whom he legally married in 2014, have previously revealed that they would have loved another child but that the 'Rocketman' hitmaker thinks he's too old.

Elton became a first-time dad at the age of 61 when Zachary was born via surrogate in December 2010.

Elijah was born to the same mother in January 2013.