07/02/2007
CONCERT CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF PRINCESS DIANA
With more than 70,000 fans on hand and millions watching on television, Princes William and Harry led a star-studded memorial concert in honor of their late mother, Princess Diana, on what would have been her 46th birthday Sunday.
"This evening is about all that my mother loved in life: her music, her dance, her charities and her family and friends," William, 25, told the crowd at Wembley Arena, reading from notecards and looking a bit overwhelmed by the occasion.
Elton John, Nelly Furtado, Sean Combs, Lily Allen, Rod Stewart, Kanye West, Joss Stone and Diana favorite Duran Duran were among the acts who performed, where security was tightened after the discovery of two unexploded car bombs in central London on Friday and an attack on Glasgow airport on Saturday where a sports utility vehicle slammed into the main terminal and burst into flames.
Ex-British prime minister Tony Blair was among those who recorded a video greeting. "I know their mother would be very proud of them," Blair said.
The crowd cheered as John played the piano and sang "Your Song." Harry, 22, said he had asked John to play "Candle in the Wind," the song that shot to the top of the charts after he performed it at Diana's 1997 funeral in Westminster Abbey. John closed the event instead with "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," "Tiny Dancer" and "Are You Ready."
William said the concert was a chance for people to "remember all the good things about her because she's not here to defend herself when she gets criticized."
Hunky Harry shared a kiss with girlfriend Chelsy Davy (aka The Luckiest Girl on Earth) as the event began and William was joined in the royal box by Kate Middleton, fueling rumors the couple are back together.
Tickets for the concert cost $90 with proceeds going to causes Diana supported. A memorial service is also planned in London on Aug. 31, the anniversary of Diana's death.
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 8:49 AM EST by Kenneth Walsh in Princess Diana | Permalink
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Such strapping lads. The mere sight of Harry has me aquiver with expectation.
Posted by: Mrs. Candy | Jul 2, 2007 8:59:34 AM
Unless I missed something, Elton John didn't play Candle in the Wind.
Posted by: Jono | Jul 2, 2007 9:08:15 AM
@ JONO - You're right. It says above that Harry asked him to play that. Instead, he ended with other songs.
Sorry I missed this - I'll have to find clips on YouTube.
Posted by: Michael | Jul 2, 2007 9:56:44 AM
I can understand why Elton didn't play "Candle in the Wind". It's a somber song and a difficult one for him to get through considering the last time it was played was Diana's funeral. This concert was a celebration of her life and her humanitarian work.
However, the concert wasn't without its poignant moments. Particularly bittersweet was the Ballet, Broadway shows, or even Duran Duran: Basically all the things Diana loved. It was incredibly moving and sweet that William and Harry invited performers who meant something to their mother.
I couldn't help but think how sad it was that she wasn't there to see it.
Posted by: mark m | Jul 2, 2007 10:38:33 AM
good grief elton john needs to just stop....he couldn't play the song because it would be too much for him?! ugh, could that old queen not make it about him for one moment? if her sons wanted to hear it, then play the damn song..but of course, elton couldn't not make some part of this about him....
Posted by: marty | Jul 2, 2007 10:51:13 AM
However failed by the artists they booked, these boys did something really wonderful in their Mother's memory.
BUT WHO THE HELL LET FERGIE TAKE THE STAGE????????????????????????????
Posted by: lexxicuss | Jul 2, 2007 11:09:32 AM
During the late 80's a friend of mine was living his last few days at the London Lighthouse, a care center for people with HIV/AIDS. It was a time when few public figures were extending themselves to our community; Diana had publicly shaken hands with an Aids sufferer in 1987 against the advice of the palace. My friend was very excited about her visit and we were all there when she arrived. She was truly striking: tall, blonde with blue eyes. After greeting us all she asked the officials if she could spend time alone with our friend. Behind closed doors, entirely alone with him, she spent a good 20 minutes. A week later he was dead. Her visit, I believe, gave him a sense of closure and meaning that left him happy and at peace for the time he had left. She was something very special, and ten years on I remember that kindness she showed to a stranger and miss her.
Posted by: Stewart | Jul 2, 2007 11:17:10 AM
'However failed by the artists they booked' - WTF? It was a pop concert with a few added bits Dear, so kindly let it go at that. If you mean the lack of Sir Elton rehashing 'Candle In the Wind', a song that he personally vowed never to play again no matter who requested it, then good on him. Artistic integrity I say, ol Marty Luv probably would have slagged him off had he played it.
As for Fergie she was one hellava lot better than Joss 'bare feet ad naseum' Stone (don't even mention Will Young as I hope his slot did not get aired in the US it was that bad), it was Anastasia that got the short end of the deal only being allowed to do one song.
All in all a wonderful day out with few exceptions. A nice tribute to their missed mum indeed.
Posted by: Lead | Jul 2, 2007 12:15:21 PM
The hell with the royals. Chase em out.
Posted by: Bill W | Jul 2, 2007 12:47:25 PM
Elton said after Diana's funeral that he would never play her version of "Candle In The Wind" unless the Prince's ever wanted them to. And they did, and egomaniac Elton saw fit not to do it. And the end of the concert was anticlimactic without it. It was otherwise a great show, William & Harry did a nice job with it all, including the clip packages about Diana.
Leave it to Elton John to fuck it up!
Posted by: whatever | Jul 2, 2007 12:51:14 PM
The whole thing did not seem very dignified. Royalty is becoming another form of celebrity of little consequence and probably should be abandoned sooner rather than later.
Posted by: anon (gmail.com) | Jul 2, 2007 1:01:39 PM
I wish Diana would have cared more about her 2 children and put her jetset/camera fueled life on hold to take care of her two boys; to ensure that she would be around... no matter what her relationship was with Charles she owed her children a long life and sometimes that means sacrificing the "good times". While accidents do happen and take many people her death was avoidable to a large extent.
I am sure this will not be a popular post but it is true.
Posted by: Charles | Jul 2, 2007 1:05:02 PM
Oh Charles you're just bitter because the public loved her more than you.
Posted by: mark m | Jul 2, 2007 1:24:16 PM
How come there was such little add about showing the concert in USA's TV? We missed it all. Will the rerun be shown for the ones who missed it??? :/
Posted by: Kelly | Jul 2, 2007 1:38:56 PM
kelly: it's viewing on VH1 in various incarnations this week. check your local listings. be SURE to add extra time at the end if you TIVO it. it runs long and you'll miss the EJ finale.
personally, i'm glad EJ did not sing 'goodbye english rose'. the whole show was such a wonderful celebration. it would've sent me into tears to hear it again and been a real buzz kill.
Posted by: psgoodguy | Jul 2, 2007 2:53:31 PM
Thank you so much for that lovely and loving memory, Stewart. It reminds me of the most extraordinary [to me] of all the Diana stories I've read. Visiting an AIDS hospice in Canada, she was given flowers by a deaf woman whose son had recently died and signed something to Diana. A nurse hurried over to "translate" only to see Diana hand the flowers to someone so she could begin talking in sign language to the astounded and very touched, grieving mother herself. Only later did I learn that one of the groups for which Diana was a "patron" was the British Deaf Association; she studied sign language for two years with a private tutor; and once gave a speech in sign to 2000 gathered for the BDA's centennial.
Posted by: Leland | Jul 2, 2007 3:41:51 PM
The first thing I noticed in the last pic with Harry kissing his girl is the woman behind them, who is the spitting image of Diana around the time she married Charles. Looking right over them. Scary.
Posted by: JPH | Jul 2, 2007 4:13:16 PM
Thanks for recounting that for us, Stewart. Very heartwarming to hear. She might not have been a perfect person (who is?) but it's acts like that that can make her sons remember her proudly.
Posted by: Joe T. | Jul 2, 2007 4:29:07 PM
I find myself wondering what the royal peni look like.
Posted by: Terry | Jul 2, 2007 5:12:25 PM
Wow. It's often so difficult to find the most pathetic poster on here, but Terry appears to have sewn it up for today.
Posted by: Scott | Jul 2, 2007 6:02:22 PM
I thought I remembered that Elton said he wouldn't perform "Goodbye English Rose" in-public ever. And perhaps it would have been too emotionally-raw for such a celebration of her life.
Her memorial service later this month might be a better, more appropriate venue if he does perform it again vs. a "benefit concert".
Posted by: Ted B. (Charging Rhino) | Jul 2, 2007 6:03:15 PM
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Posted by: Megan | Jul 2, 2007 10:33:50 PM
Richard Mineards (a former columnist for the London Daily express) was on The O'Reilly Factor tonight citing the Diana concert as one of three events proving the British people will not stop their lives because of the recent terrorist attacks. The other two were the Wimbleton tennis events and the Gay Pride march.
Posted by: Mike John | Jul 2, 2007 11:37:55 PM
What does he see in her that he doesn't see in me?
I don't get it.
Jack Jett
Posted by: Jack Jett | Jul 2, 2007 11:50:59 PM
why is it that even the most innocuous of posts elicits catty, contrarian comments. it neither makes one clever nor hip to find fault with everything and anything. this was a heartfelt tribute from the boys to their mom. can't we just leave it at that?
Posted by: nic | Jul 3, 2007 11:26:41 AM