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Waving their arms in the air with 70,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, princes
William and Harry celebrated the life of their mother, Princess Diana, on what
would have been her 46th birthday today 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.
"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.
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 Saturday
where a Jeep Cherokee slammed into the main terminal and burst into flames. At
least 450 officers patrolled the concert.
The
memorial 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.
Younger artists such as Kanye West, Joss Stone and Lily Allen also performed.
Diana
died Aug. 31, 1997, along with boyfriend Dodi Fayed and their driver when their
Mercedes crashed inside the Pont d'Alma tunnel with media photographers in hot
pursuit.
The
princes have said that the memorial concert was intended as a celebration of
their mother's life.
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.
Audience members 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
would also like to take this opportunity to say hi to all the guys in A Squadron
of the Household Cavalry, who are serving out in Iraq at the moment," he said.
"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." Harry, a second
lieutenant in the regiment, was banned from going to Iraq for security reason.
A
family of fans from Portsmouth in southern England said they had come to sample
the wide variety of acts 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 planned in London on Aug. 31, the anniversary of Diana's
death.
Diana, we miss.
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