Rod Stewart says Queen Elizabeth II is almost “like a sister” to him

Rod Stewart has met Queen Elizabeth II seven times in his career, and as he prepares to perform for her Platinum Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace on Saturday night, he says he almost feels as though the queen is part of his family.

Appearing on BBC Breakfast ahead of the concert, Rod, who was knighted by the queen in 2016, said, “She’s been so much part of my life, almost like a sister, you know? She’s always been in the background of my life.”

But while he’s performed for the queen on numerous occasions, Rod said he’ll be nervous on Saturday night, because, he revealed, he’ll be singing a song he’s “never, ever sang before.” He called that prospect nerve-wracking.

Asked which member of the royal family is most likely to get up and dance during his performance, Rod immediately said, “Charles, ’cause I love him and my wife absolutely adores him.” When asked why, Rod responded cheekily, “I think they’ve got a thing going on! No, they’re very, very friendly.”

When the interviewer asked Rod what he thought wife Penny‘s response would be to his joke, Rod predicted, “She’s going to absolutely die of embarrassment. I wish I was dead right now! I’m going home!”