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Stars pay tribute to Princess Diana
2007-07-02
An international lineup of pop stars paid tribute to Princess Diana on Sunday at a memorial concert watched by her sons Princes William and Harry and a crowd of 60,000 at London's Wembley Stadium. Elton John, a friend of the princess who sang at her funeral, kicked off the show with "Your Song" in front of giant black and white photographs of Diana taken by Mario Testino that were beamed on to the stage backdrop. He was followed by veterans Duran Duran, Status Quo, Bryan Ferry, younger acts The Feeling, Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, Orson, Lily Allen and U.S. rapper Pharrell Williams as well as The English National Ballet, a favorite of Diana's. Sunday would have been Diana's 46th birthday. Her death in a car crash in Paris in 1997 provoked an unprecedented outpouring of grief from the normally reserved British, reflecting their love of the royal dubbed the "queen of hearts," who became one of the world's most photographed women. Welsh crooner Tom Jones showed he could still rock at 67, getting the crowd, and the princes, to their feet with "Kiss." The princes, who danced and joined a Mexican wave during the six-hour music marathon, organized the event to mark the 10th anniversary of their mother's death and celebrate her charity work, which they felt had been forgotten amid negative press. "This evening is about all that our mother loved in life -- her music, her dance, her charities and her family and friends," William, 25, said after receiving a standing ovation. Fans at the newly refurbished Wembley stadium shared their memories of the princess. "I camped out in London for her funeral, so I really wanted to be here today. She was a caring person who always thought of others," said Julie Rocks. HARRY'S TRIBUTE TO TROOPS Actor Kiefer Sutherland, one of several celebrity presenters along with Sienna Miller, Dennis Hopper and tennis star John McEnroe, called Diana a "great icon of giving." Harry, 22, paid tribute to his fellow soldiers serving in Iraq. The third in line to the throne had been due to be deployed in Basra this year, but military commanders decided against sending him there, deeming it too dangerous. "I wish I was there with you. I'm sorry I can't be ... stay safe," he said. Security at the concert was heightened after two car bombs were found on Friday in central London and two men rammed a four-wheel-drive vehicle into Glasgow airport on Saturday. The event also faces competition in a packed pop calendar with fans still scraping mud off after the rain-sodden Glastonbury Festival and Al Gore staging "Live Earth" concerts on July 7 around the world to highlight the climate crisis. The show, interspersed with video clips from charities Diana supported, was broadcast to around 140 countries and an estimated audience of 500 million people. William's ex-girlfriend Kate Middleton was in the audience, amid speculation the couple may have resumed their relationship. Harry was joined by girlfriend Chelsy Davy, and also in the crowd was Diana's brother Charles Spencer, who gave the oration at her funeral which included a bitter tirade against the media.
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