'I Am Not an ATM': Elton John Reportedly Frustrated After Prince Harry Allegedly Asked for Money

Four words are reportedly threatening to unravel one of the royal family's oldest friendships. According to one source, Elton John has told Prince Harry, 'I am not an ATM,' after the Duke of Sussex allegedly went looking for financial help from one of his late mother's closest celebrity friends.

The claim lands at an already fraught moment. Harry has just lost a costly privacy battle against Associated Newspapers Limited, publisher of the Daily Mail, and reports suggest he is now short of cash on two fronts at once: his legal bill and his flagship charity event. The claimants, including Harry and John, could collectively face legal costs of up to £38 million ($51 million), with the publisher separately seeking to recover more than $67 million in total costs across all parties involved in the case.

Did Prince Harry Ask Elton John for Invictus Funding Before Facing the Judge?

Royal commentator Paula Froelich claims Harry sought financial help from Elton. Writing on her Substack, she said Harry had visited the singer's French home before travelling to London.

'I am told that Harry, facing a massive funding shortfall for Invictus, had stopped by Elton and his husband David Furnish's place in the South of France to ask for money before arriving in London,' Froelich wrote. She added that Elton, aware he could be liable for a large share of the legal costs, 'was reportedly not interested in donating, especially as he knew he would be facing a massive payout in the event that his group would not win their claims.'

Froelich repeated the claim on Sky News Australia, telling presenter Danica De Giorgio that the Invictus Games were around £25 million short, having raised only £4 million ($5 million) so far from corporate and anonymous donors.

'Harry has asked Elton to give him some money for Invictus. Elton has said no because this court case is such a big deal. He asked Elton before the judge delivered the ruling, but Elton saw where the wind was blowing,' she added.

According to Froelich, Elton John and Prince Harry had assured others involved in the legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited that they would cover the legal fees. However, Prince Harry reportedly did not have the funds to do so.

Why Meghan Markle Is Reportedly 'Very Furious' Over Harry's Legal Bill

Prince Harry's defeat has reportedly left Meghan Markle angry that he pursued the case at all. One insider claimed she had opposed the lawsuit from the start and is now bracing for a bill her husband cannot easily cover.

Elton John has been floated as a possible saviour, given his long-standing bond with the family. As one source put it, he could still step in and help Prince Harry because 'they're extremely close.'

The publisher, Associated Newspapers Limited, does not have to pursue every claimant equally. Colin Campbell, a former Costs Judge at the Royal Courts of Justice, explained that it can 'choose who has the most money and who will be easiest to get payment from.'

'It could be Elton John, Prince Harry, and Elizabeth Hurley; they don't have to go to each claimant separately,' Campbell stated.

Prince Harry Has Faced This 'ATM' Complaint Before

This is not the first time Prince Harry has faced accusations of turning to people close to him for financial aid. Royal expert Kinsey Schofield previously claimed that King Charles once stopped taking Prince Harry's calls for the same reason.

'The King, at one point when he was Prince Charles, according to Robert Jobson, stopped taking Harry's phone calls because he said Harry was making him feel like an ATM,' Schofield said.

She added that the late Queen 'was nervous about being left alone' by the Sussexes. As a result, Her Majesty would reportedly ask friends or her assistants to accompany her when Prince Harry and Markle were around and even during calls 'to ensure that if they asked anything of her specific, like asked her for money' there would be witnesses.