Waving their arms in the air and dancing with 70,000 fans at
London's Wembley Stadium, princes William and Harry celebrated the
life of their mother, Princess Diana, on what would have been her
46th birthday Sunday at a concert they organized.
William, 25, rocked his hips as Canadian pop star Nelly Furtado
belted out her song Man Eater to the embarrassment of
younger brother Harry, who shook his head and laughed.
Harry, 22, said they asked Elton John to play Candle in the
Wind, the song he sang at Diana's 1997 funeral in Westminster
Abbey. Originally about Marilyn Monroe, its lyrics were reworked in
tribute to Diana and it became a worldwide No. 1 hit that same
year. But Elton didn't play the song later.
"This evening is about all that my mother loved in life: her
music, her dance, her charities and her family and friends,"
William told the crowd, thanking them and millions more who watched
the show on television.
Diana died August 31, 1997, along with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed
and their driver when their Mercedes crashed inside the Pont d'Alma
tunnel in Paris with media photographers in hot pursuit.
Security for the event was increased 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. At least 450 officers
patrolled the concert.
The concert mixed rock, pop, hip hop and classical ballet and
featured some of Diana's favorite acts including Duran Duran and
Tom Jones. In honor of her love of dance and theater, there was a
performance of an extract from Swan Lake by the English
National Ballet and songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Among the 24 performances were songs by Rod Stewart, Kanye West,
Joss Stone, Lily Allen and Sean "Diddy" Combs, who performed an
emotive rendition of Missing You, a cover of The Police's
1983 Every Breath You Take.
"Ten years ago Princess Diana, she went to a better place, and
today we celebrate her rebirth," Combs said. "I love you Diana, we
miss you."
Ex-British prime minister Tony Blair was among those who recorded a
video greeting. His message was booed as he appeared on screen, but
the crowd cheered when he paid tribute to William and Harry, the
second and third in line to the British throne, respectively.
"I know their mother would be very proud of them," Blair
said.
William's former girlfriend Kate Middleton attended the concert,
further fueling rumors that the couple, who announced their split
in April, have reconciled. William's Clarence House office has
declined to comment on media reports that the two are back
together.
Weeks of soggy weather lifted as the sun peeked out from behind
gray clouds rolling over the newly built glass-and-steel stadium,
Britain's largest, which usually hosts soccer games.
"This is not an exercise in nostalgia, this is a party!"
director and actor Dennis Hopper said, introducing Allen, the
British singing star who performed a cheery rendition of her
chart-topper Smile.
The crowd cheered as John played the piano and sang Your
Song, and they were on their feet as the princes introduced
Duran Duran.
"Pray for sun!" lead singer Simon LeBon told the crowd as the
band broke into Sunrise, followed by Rio, which
they dedicated to the late princess.
Harry added a special message for his army unit, currently
serving in Iraq.
"I wish I was there with you. I'm sorry I can't be. But to all
of those on operations at the moment, we'd both like to say stay
safe," he said.
Harry, a second lieutenant in the regiment, was barred from
going to Iraq for security reasons.
A family of fans from Portsmouth in southern England said they
had come to sample the wide variety of acts all playing under the
same roof, but Diana was also in their minds.
"I was devastated," Karen Moore, 50, a restaurateur, said of her
death.
Diana is remembered for her glamour, her extensive charity work
and her tempestuous marriage to Prince Charles, heir to the British
throne. The pair married in 1981 in a ceremony watched by millions
around the world, but divorced in 1996 after admissions of adultery
on both sides.
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."
Tickets for the concert cost $90 with proceeds going to causes
Diana supported.
A memorial service is also planned in London on August 31, the
anniversary of Diana's death.
Singer Elton John performs
during the "Concert for Diana" in London July 1, 2007.
David Beckham seen during a
star-studded pop concert in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales at
Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday July 1, 2007.
Kanye West performs during
a star-studded pop concert in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales at
Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday July 1, 2007.
Sean "Diddy" Combs performs
during the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London July 1,
2007.
Joss Stone performs at the
Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London July 1,
2007.
Britain's Princes William
(L) and Harry speak on stage at Wembley Stadium in London at the
"Concert for Diana", held in memory of their mother Princess Diana,
July 1, 2007.
Lily Allen performs at the
Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London July 1,
2007.
Take That's (L-R) Gary
Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald perform during the Concert for
Diana at Wembley Stadium in London July 1, 2007.
Nelly Furtado performs at
the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London July 1,
2007.
Rod Stewart performs during
the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London July 1,
2007.
(Agencies via China Daily and CRI.cn July 2, 2007)
