The Dean of Westminster personally approached Buckingham Palace to make sure Elton John was performing at Princess Diana’s funeral, according to documents recently published by the British National Archives. The BBC reports it.
According to Reverend Wesley Carr, inviting Elton John would have been a “creative and generous” act to millions of people who felt “personally grieving” the death of Lady D. Elton John, who was a friend of Diana, performed a reworked version of ‘Candle In The Wind’ at the funeral held in 1997, however documents indicate that a backup plan was also prepared.
In a note addressed to a senior member of the royal family, Carr admitted that the pop star’s presence would not be conventional, but urged the Crown to act “boldly” to include “something of the modern world represented by the princess”. The dean explained that it was a “rare opportunity for the abbey to bring together the glitz, the history and the common touch” and records indicate that Carr saw in Elton John an essential part of that combination.
Jacque Chirac and Hillary Clinton, who was then the First Lady, called for official positions against the paparazzi and to further protect privacy. In a phone call with Blair, Chirac, the then French president, had proposed to “tighten the existing privacy law.” Hillary Clinton had changed her mind about attacking the media at a press conference in London before the funeral. “Her personal inclination is to attack the press, but her staff prevents her from doing so,” Jonathan Powell, Blair’s chief of staff, wrote to press officer Alastair Campbell.