Prince Harry's pained plea rejected for 'morbid' reason

ok.co.uk:

Prince Harry asked Sir Elton John to perform Candle in the Wind for the anniversary of his mum's death, but the singer declined, according to Harry's tell-all memoir, Spare.

Instead, Sir Elton chose to play Your Song, saying that Candle in the Wind would be too "macabre".The musician, a close friend of Harry's mum, performed a revised version of Candle in the Wind at Princess Diana's funeral on 6 September 1997.

Originally written in 1973 by Sir Elton and Bernie Taupin as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who died 11 years earlier, the updated version was released as a single in honour of Diana, with all worldwide proceeds going to her charities.

Sir Elton has stayed close with Diana's sons after her death, defending Harry and Meghan against "relentless and untrue assassinations on their characters" in 2019.This came after criticisms that the couple had used private jets, including one provided by Sir Elton to his villa in Nice, despite their outspoken stance on environmental issues.