Phil Collins felt it coming in the air tonight—and he felt it at Buckingham Palace. The Genesis legend made a rare public appearance at the King's Trust 50th Anniversary Party on May 14, stepping out alongside ex-wife Jill Collins and rubbing shoulders with King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Collins, who has faced well-documented health struggles in recent years, was spotted using crutches at the event. "Despite the downpours of torrential rain which did not seem to dampen the festivities @officialphilcollins and I were very proud and honored to be there," Jill posted to Instagram the next day, sharing that Phil was "the very first ambassador 40 years ago and a trustee even before that."
The Grammy winner opened up about his physical challenges in January on the BBC's Eras podcast. "I had five operations on my knee now," he explained. "I've got a knee that works and I can walk, albeit with assistance [from] crutches."
The retired musician—who stepped away from drumming in 2022—also battled nerve damage in his hands stemming from a spinal injury during Genesis' farewell tour in 2007. "If I can't do what I did as well as I did it, I'd rather relax and not do anything," he said in his 2024 documentary Phil Collins: Drummer First.
In candid interviews, Collins has also discussed kidney damage linked to past alcohol struggles. "I'd probably been drinking too much, so my kidneys were messed up," he said. "I spent months in hospital." He has said that while he "was never drunk," the cumulative toll caught up with him.
For more on Collins' rare public moments, check out E! Online's full report.
