Elton John kicked off a charity concert in memory of Princess Diana on Sunday, watched by her sons Princes William and Harry and a crowd of around 60,000 at London's Wembley Stadium. The entertainer, a good friend of the princess who sang at her funeral, performed "Your Song" in front of giant black and white photographs of Diana beamed on to the stage backdrop.
The princes appeared briefly on stage to a standing ovation and paid tribute to their mother on what would have been her 46th birthday.
"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. Harry, 22, praised 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. The princes have lined up a string of pop veterans including Rod Stewart and Duran Duran for a six-hour show broadcast to 145 countries.
Security at the concert was heightened after two car bombs were found on Friday in central London and two suspects rammed a petrol-filled four-wheel-drive vehicle into Glasgow airport on Saturday in what police called a terrorist attack. The princes believe their late mother has been portrayed negatively in some sections of the media and forgotten as an active charity campaigner whose causes ranged from AIDS sufferers to landmine victims.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.