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Prince William and Prince Harry, at the new Wembley Stadium ahead Sunday's memorial concert for their mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, Saturday June 30, 2007. (AP Photo, Andrew Parsons,Pool)

William and Harry put stamp on tribute concert

Updated Sat. Jun. 30 2007 10:43 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Sunday's Concert for Diana -- staged in London's brand new Wembley Stadium and aired around the world -- is the work of a couple of novice promoters, Prince William and Prince Harry.

The young men organized the bash, a day-long concert featuring artists of all genres, to mark the 10th anniversary of their mother's tragic death. July 1 would have been her 46th birthday.

They turned up Saturday for a sound check at Wembley Stadium.

Artists performing include a mix of the boys' contemporary picks and some of their mother's favourites.

Duran Duran, the 1980s pop band, will reunite on Sunday for the event (and next weekend's Live Earth spectacular). Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, Rodger Hodgson from Supertramp, and of course, Elton John, are some of the other stars from that earlier era joining in the celebration. Also on board: the English National Ballet.

The princes' personal picks include Nelly Furtado, Kanye West, Joss Stone, Lily Allen, Orson, P. Diddy, Pharrel Williams and Fergie. The royal boys are promising to dance, and are certain to appear on stage and speak at some point early in the show.

"The main purpose is to celebrate and to have fun and to remember her in a fun way," Prince William said when the concert was announced.

Like many of these superstar-packed concerts, the fun will be in the mix. Joss Stone, for instance, is reported to have asked Prince William if she could do something special, and he suggested performing a song by one of his mother's favourites.

"He said, 'She liked Tina Turner, so I said, 'Alright...' and picked out a Tina Turner song." She is reported to be merging "What's Love Got to Do With It?" into her mix. William also helped Stone pick a Queen song to cover.

During a televised interview in early June, Princes William and Harry told "Today" show host Matt Lauer that they continue to mourn their mother.

"There's not a day goes by I don't think, you know, that I don't think about it once in the day," said Prince William.

Sir Elton John's "Candle in the Wind," originally a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, was famously reworked as a tribute to Diana. John has not performed the song since her funeral. It's believed that a performance of the song will close out the evening's festivities.

Anastacia, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman, Donny Osmond and Jason Donovan will also be appearing in a special "musicals" medley arranged by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Ricky Gervais, creator of the original version of "The Office," has also agreed to take to the stage and perform his song from the show, "Free Love on the Free Love Freeway."

Her life and legacy

Born into aristocracy, Diana was far from your typical regal figure, yet become one of the most famous royals of the 20th century Western world.

She was known for her genuine disposition to each and every person she met, and was seen as a more grounded figure than most from her early years as Princess of Wales.

Diana's efforts to protect children were far-reaching and various and although her landmine concerns received the most publicity, Diana was also concerned with the AIDS virus and the public perception surrounding the disease.

After her divorce from Prince Charles, Diana put all her efforts into ending the use of landmines and accounting for those still spread throughout the world. Diana even spoke to British Parliament on various occasions addressing the cause.

Her life in the public eye tragically ended in 1997. While on a trip to Paris, Diana was involved in a fatal car accident. News of her death shocked the world.

Many believe that the paparazzi, which were chasing her vehicle at the time of her death, were directly responsible for her death.

• The Concert for Diana will air in Canada on CTV and on the CTV Broadband Network, Sunday starting at 11 am ET, 8 am PT.

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