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Friday, August 31st marks the 10th anniversary of Diana’s death, and as announced, a memorial service was held at London’s Guards’ Chapel near Buckingham Palace. Harry and William have organized the whole event mostly on their own, with the help of Diana's brother, Earl Spencer and Diana’s sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes.
Present at the hour-long Thanksgiving Service for Diana in London’s Guards’ Chapel were Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and his wife, Sarah, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, and his wife Cherie, singer Elton John, Cliff Richard and celebrity photographer Mario Testino.
Elton John arrived with his partner David Furnish and with Camilla Al Fayed, sister of the Princess’ late lover Dodi Al Fayed. Prince Charles’ new wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, did not attend, saying earlier this week that her presence would “divert attention from the purpose of the occasion, which is to focus on the life and service of Diana.”
Harry and William chose the music for the service, including hymns that were previously sung at Diana’s wedding to Prince Charles in July, 1981 and at her funeral ten years ago. Rev. Patrick Irwin, Chaplain to the Household Division, conducted the service. Two prayers were written for the occasion by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, at the request of William and Harry.
Diana, Princess of Wales, was also honored on the 10th anniversary of her tragic death with a huge concert earlier this year. Her two sons, Princes William and Harry, who are second and third, respectively, in line to the throne of the United Kingdom, hosted the sold-out concert on July 1st, at the newly rebuilt Wembley Stadium in London. Elton John opened the show with "Your Song," and then the two heirs to the throne took the stage.
A British investigation into the death of Princess Diana, concluded the Paris crash on August 31 1997 was caused by a drunken chauffeur who lost control of the car, according to a report resulting from of a two-year investigation by a former head of the Metropolitan Police. Among other conspiracy theories, Mohammed al-Fayed, Diana's lover's father, has repeatedly alleged that the British Secret Service arranged Diana's death because she was pregnant and she and his son planned to marry. The investigation found no evidence of such pregnancy.
Mohammed al-Fayed, the father of Dodi Al Fayed, led a tribute today to his son and Diana at London's Harrods department store, which he owns, joined by the staff and shoppers.
After allegations in the British press that they were taping her phones, the NSA said in an official statement earlier this year that it had indeed 39 classified documents containing references to Diana the princess. But they "only contained references to the princess and she was never the communicant," according to agency spokesman Don Weber.
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