Crowd of 70,000 Fills Stadium to Honor the 'People's Princess'

Jul 02, 07:17 AM

Current Headlines: By RAPHAEL G. SATTER

By Raphael G. Satter

The Associated Press

LONDON

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 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.

"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 on 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 part of "Swan Lake" by the English National Ballet and songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Kanye West, Joss Stone and Lily Allen also performed.

Diana died Aug. 31, 1997, along with her 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.

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."

Diana married Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, in 1981, but they divorced in 1996.

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.

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