Princess Diana caused a huge bust up at an Elton John dinner party with Richard Gere and Sly Stallone almost coming to blows over her affections.
In Elton John's new autobiography, Me, he details how when he was making the Lion King he threw an elaborate dinner party for head of Disney Jeffrey Katzenberg who begged him to invite Princess Diana.
Alongside George Michael, Richard Curtis and his wife Emma Freud, Elton and husband David Furnish also invited Richard Gere and Sylvester Stallone.
Diana, who was separated from Prince Charles, was apparently "very taken" with Richard Gere, who had just broken up with Cindy Crawford.
Elton, whose book is serialised in the Daily Mail , recalls: "They ended up sitting in front of the fireplace together, locked in rapt conversation.
"As the rest of us chatted, I couldn't help notice a strange atmosphere in the room. Judging by the kind of looks he kept shooting them, Diana and Richard Gere's newly blossoming friendship was not going down well with Sylvester Stallone at all."
Apparently Sly attended the dinner party with the sole purpose of meeting and romancing Diana.
When dinner was announced Elton says everyone rushed to the table, apart from Richard and Sly.
He writes: "It transpired that David discovered Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere in the corridor, squaring up to each other, apparently about to settle their differences over Diana by having a fist-fight.
"He'd managed to calm things down by pretending he hadn't noticed what was going on — 'Hey, guys! Time for dinner!' — but Sylvester clearly still wasn't happy.
He adds: "I never would have come,' he snapped, as David and I showed him to the door, 'if I'd known Prince f***in' Charming was gonna be here.' Then he added: 'If I'd wanted her, I would've taken her!"
Diana was apparently none the wiser and went back to the fireplace with her first choice, Richard Gere.
Me: Elton John Official Autobiography by Elton John is published by Macmillan on October 15.
