Star-studded event in Princess Diana's remembrance

Monday, July 02, 2007

Sir Elton John led a star-studded line up at the Concert for Diana yesterday. The 60-year old musician opened and closed the emotional charity event which featured a host of top entertainers, including Lily Allen, Rod Stewart, Kanye West, Duran Duran and Take That. The show was organised by Diana's sons Princes William and Harry to mark the 10th anniversary of her death, on what would have been her 46th birthday.

Elton - who performed at Diana's 1997 funeral - opened the spectacular show with 'Your Song' before another of Diana's favourite artists Duran Duran got the 63,000 fans packed into London's new Wembley Stadium dancing with their upbeat new song 'Sunrise', as well as classic hits 'Wild Boys' and 'Rio'. A global audience of more than 500 million people in 140 countries around the world watched the event. The show, which started at 4pm and went on for more than six hours, also featured a collection of celebrity presenters who introduced the acts and paid tribute to Diana and her legacy. Sienna Miller and actor Dennis Hopper introduced third act Lily Allen, and other presenters included '24' star Kiefer Sutherland, Gillian Anderson, Patsy Kensit and British comedian Ricky Gervais.

One of the biggest receptions was reserved for soccer superstar David Beckham who was greeted with a standing ovation as he introduced Take That to the delirious audience. The show ended as it began with Elton bringing the day to a crescendo with classic hits 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting', 'Are You Ready For Love' and 'Tiny Dancer'. Proceeds from the event will go to a series of Princess Diana's favourite charities, including the National AIDS Trust and homeless charity Centrepoint.