It all began at Queen Elizabeth II's jubilee in 2002, at Buckingham Palace. Phil Collins approached Paul McCartney and asked him to sign a Beatles-related book. McCartney signed it, then turned to Heather Mills, who was by his side at the time, and said: "Our little Phil is a big Beatles fan, isn't he?"

Collins heard the tone, not the words. He took the sentence as condescending, as a legend looking down and showing him his place. It started a cold war lasting more than two decades between two musicians the whole world knows by name. The story stayed private until 2016, when Collins told it while promoting his autobiography, explaining that Paul had spoken to him "from a position of superiority".

McCartney then wrote him an email. Collins never replied. More than a decade passed, and in the end the bridge was built by a charity auction. McCartney learned that Collins was collecting items from various artists for an auction in aid of the King's Trust, and got in touch again. During the conversation he brought up the old dispute. Collins admitted he regretted ever making the story public and wished he hadn't.

Collins summed up the outcome in two words: they are now "at peace". More than twenty years of resentment over one sentence at a royal celebration, and a phone call was enough to end it. How many feuds like this - between brothers, neighbours and godparents - drag on for decades only because nobody wants to be the first to pick up the phone?