Elton John's harsh words about his knighthood

As he turns 70, Sir Elton John has declared that his knighthood means 'f*** all'.

The superstar said his English fans kept him grounded and that he liked that they are not impressed by his lofty title.

Speaking to Zane Lowe on Beats 1, Elton said: 'The knighthood gives me f*** all. They are so enamoured over here in America but the English don't care, nothing is sacred in England.

'I like the irreverence over there. I like the fact you will always be shot down if you get too big for your boots.'

Elton was knighted in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in 1998 for services to British pop music and his work in raising money for AIDS charities.

The ceremony took place just six months after his emotive rendition of Candle In The Wind at Princess Diana's funeral.

At the time, Elton told reporters that his knighthood was 'the icing on the cake' and added: 'They don't come much bigger than this.'

However, the Your Song singer now believes that irreverent attitude of the English has helped him to survive intense fame.

'Elvis and Michael Jackson would have never have survived in England,' he said.

'I would rather have that than the adulation and the bubble [in America].'

The star turned 70 on Saturday but insisted that he feels younger than ever.

He said: '70 sounds so archaic, doesn't it?

'When I was growing up, 70 sounded like the end of the world. But things have changed. You're only as old as you feel inside.

'There are days when I am not feeling as physically good as I could. Bits drop off... but in my inner self I feel great.'

Elton credited his children Zachary, six, and Elijah, four, with husband David Furnish, for changing his life.

He said: 'We live for a small amount of time. We don't know when our death sentence will be. You have to live every day.

'Having the children has been the icing on the cake. It has made everything more enjoyable.

'I thought, "I will never have children, they will mess everything up. I have so much love for them. The first thing I do every day is Face Time if I am not with them.

'They have taught me to be patient and love is never as powerful as when you have a child.

'If you said to me 10 years ago I would have two sons, I would have laughed in your face.'

The hit-maker, who is known for hosting extravagant bashes, celebrated his 70th birthday in style on Saturday night.

The glitzy party took place at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and guests included Katy Perry, James Corden and Stevie Wonder.

This article was first published on dailymail.co.uk and is republished here with permission.