British popstar Elton John and David Furnish 'tie the knot'

London - British popstar Sir Elton John and his long-term partner David Furnish on Wednesday formalized their relationship at a ceremony in Windsor, near London. British music star Sir Elton John (R) and partner David Furnish, a Canadian film maker, arrive at the Guildhall Windsor, in Berkshire, west of London, for their civil wedding ceremony, Wednesday, 21 December 2005.Under the Civil Partnership Act 2004 gay marriages can take place in England giving homosexuals similar rights to heterosexual married couples. EPA/DANIEL HAMBURY

British music star Sir Elton John (R) and partner David Furnish, a Canadian film maker, arrive at the Guildhall Windsor, in Berkshire, west of London, for their civil wedding ceremony, Wednesday, 21 December 2005.Under the Civil Partnership Act 2004 gay marriages can take place in England giving homosexuals similar rights to heterosexual married couples. EPA/DANIEL HAMBURYSir Elton, 58, and 43-year-old Furnish, who have been together for 12 years, arrived at Windsor Guildhall in a black saloon car with tinted windows and music blaring. Both clad in dark suits, the couple entered the building, where, in April this year, British heir to the throne Prince Charles, and Camilla Parker Bowles, were married by the same registrar. A handful of fans gathered outside the town hall, clapping and cheering, but there were no protests. Only close family members were present at the ceremony, which will be followed by a private lunch and a large ball on Wednesday evening expected to be attended by up to 700 celebrities. The ceremony uniting Sir Elton and Furnish in a civil partnership was one of nearly 700 similar ceremonies set to take place around England and Wales Wednesday. In Northern Ireland and Scotland, ceremonies kicked off earlier this week. According to official figures, 1,200 same-sex couples in Britain have registered for a civil partnership by the end of the year alone. The same-sex unions, which gives gay and lesbian couples similar tax, property and inheritance rights to married couples, became possible in Britain under a new law that came into force on December 5. © 2005 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur