Music legend Phil Collins has made a rare public appearance at Buckingham Palace, four years after retiring from the spotlight due to ongoing health issues.
The former Genesis frontman attended the 50th anniversary of The King’s Trust alongside his ex-wife, Jill Tavelman.
Photos shared by Tavelman on Instagram showed Collins using crutches as the pair posed with Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster.
“Despite the downpours of torrential rain which did not seem to dampen the festivities @officialphilcollins and I were very proud and honoured to be there and have a few private moments with King Charles, who seemed genuinely pleased to see Phil,” Tavelman wrote.
She also noted Collins “was the very first ambassador 40 years ago and a trustee even before that!”
The 75-year-old musician has largely remained out of public view since retiring in 2022, after a series of serious health problems left him unable to continue drumming.
In his 2024 documentary Phil Collins: Drummer First, the Grammy-winning musician reflected on the difficult transition away from performing.
“It’s still kind of sinking in a bit,” Collins said.
“I’ve spent all my life playing drums,” he added. “To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock. If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks then I’ll have a crack at it. But I just feel like I’ve used up my air miles.”
His son, Nic Collins, explained Collins underwent major neck surgery in 2015 after decades of drumming and posture-related injuries.
Collins also lives with drop foot, a condition affecting mobility and making drumming increasingly difficult.
Speaking previously about his health struggles, Collins said: “I can barely hold a stick with this hand, so there are certain physical things which get in the way.”
Last year, he revealed the extent of his ongoing health issues in an interview with Mojo magazine.
“I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens,” he said.
“But I’m not hungry for it anymore. The thing is, I’ve been sick, I mean very sick.”
Early this year, in a BBC Two interview he revealed: “I have a 24 hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication.”
“I’ve had challenges with my knee — I had everything that could go wrong with me did go wrong with me. I got COVID in hospital my kidneys started to back up. Everything … seemed to sort of converge at the same time.”
Image: Instagram
