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Prince William and Prince Harry announce memorial service and concert to commemorate and celebrate their mother’s life

12th December 2006

Princes William and Harry today announced two major events which will take place next year to commemorate and celebrate the life of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Princes announced their intentions today in an interview. Click here to view the video of the interview with Prince William and Prince Harry on the newly launched Concert for Diana website.

There will be a memorial service in London on 31st August 2007.

Prince William and Prince Harry have invited members of The Royal Family including Her Majesty The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, as well as Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Lady Jane Fellowes and Earl Spencer, all of whom will attend.

Friends of the late Princess, and representatives from her charities and other organisations with which she was associated will also be invited.

On 1st July 2007, The Princess’s birthday, Prince William and Prince Harry will host a celebration concert at Wembley Stadium.

The event, called “Concert for Diana”, will feature some of their mother’s and some of their own favourite artists.

All of the artists are being invited to perform by Princes William and Harry. Already lined up for the concert are Elton John, Duran Duran, Bryan Ferry, Pharrell Williams, The English National Ballet, Joss Stone and Andrew Lloyd Webber, who will stage a medley of songs from some of his greatest West End shows. A number of other major acts will be announced in due course.

Tickets will be exclusively available from tomorrow (Wednesday 12th December) on a website launched for the event. Click here to visit the Concert for Diana website.

The Princes are organising the concert and chairing an Advisory Board made up of leading figures from the worlds of media, entertainment and leisure.

Announcing his and his brother’s plans for a commemoration of their mother’s life, Prince William said today: “We both wanted to put our stamp on it. We want it to represent exactly what our mother would have wanted.

“So therefore the church service alone isn’t enough. We wanted to have this big concert full of energy, full of the sort of fun and happiness which I know she would have wanted.

“And on her birthday as well, it’s got to be the best birthday present she ever had.

“First and foremost the evening is for her. It’s to remember her and to commemorate her life and celebrate it.”

On the memorial service, Prince Harry said: “The service is going to include both sides of the family, our mother’s side and our father’s side - everyone getting together. It should be a good occasion.”

Proceeds from the concert will go to a number of charities that were supported by The Princess during her life, and to two of the Princes’ own charities, Centrepoint and Sentebale.

The Princess’s charities which will benefit are The Diana Memorial Fund, which was set up in her memory, and five charities of which she was Patron at the time of her death: The Royal Marsden Hospital, The National Aids Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital, The Leprosy Mission, and The English National Ballet.

Tickets, priced £45 and with no booking fee, will be made available from 9am tomorrow (Wednesday 13th December 2006) via the website www.concertfordiana.com or from Ticketmaster on 0844 725 0107.

Update

Following this morning’s announcement confirming the Concert for Diana on 1 July 2007 at London's Wembley Stadium, several of the artists set to perform have released statements in support of a concert that will celebrate Princess Diana’s life and memory.

Sir Elton John said:

"I applaud Princes William and Harry for choosing to honour their mother with this concert. I am absolutely thrilled to be performing at this great event. Diana was a personal friend and someone I greatly admired for her tireless and enthusiastic work for charity."

Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran said:

"We first met Diana in 1983 at a Prince’s Trust concert in London and were immediately struck by her remarkable charisma and charm. She was effervescent, with a passion for everything she did, and she always loved both music and the arts.

"The concert next summer seems an entirely fitting way to celebrate her life and her work. We are honoured that she always referred to Duran Duran as her favourite band as she was certainly our favourite princess. We are delighted to have been asked to participate in what promises to be a very special event."

Andrew Lloyd Webber said:  "I am delighted and honoured to be part of this celebration of the
life of a very remarkable woman".

Craig Hassall, Managing Director of English National Ballet said:  “Swan Lake was Diana, Princess of Wales’ favourite ballet and The English National Ballet was her favourite ballet Company. We are delighted and honoured to be able to perform this tribute.

"As our patron, Princess Diana was a great friend and constant supporter of English National Ballet and is remembered fondly by all the dancers and staff that came into contact with her during her many visits."