News

As the 10th anniversary of their mother's death approaches, Princes William and Harry apparently want to do something to commemorate the occasion -- and what better way to honor the memory of the "People's Princess" than with a big, old-fashioned, star-studded charity rock concert?

Although details have not been confirmed, several British tabloids are reporting that plans are underway for William and Harry to host a memorial concert for their mother, Princess Diana, on July 1st, 2007 in London's newly renovated Wembley Stadium. The new venue can accommodate up to 90,000 fans, which should guarantee that a tidy sum will be raised for some of Diana's favorite charities.

July 1st, 2007 would have been Diana's 46th birthday. She was killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31st, 1997, along with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and their driver. The accident has been widely blamed on paparazzi, although the precise cause is still the subject of an ongoing investigation. If 10 years sounds like a long time to investigate a car accident, it should be borne in mind that this particular accident has generated 1,500 witness statements and over 20,000 documents -- and counting. It is easily the most widely discussed and analyzed fatal car accident in history.

A spokesman for William and Harry's father, Prince Charles, confirmed that the brothers are planning something to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Di's death, but said a concert was just one of several options under discussion. "We are not ready to confirm anything yet," Paddy Harverson told People magazine.

That hasn't stopped the rumor mill from spitting forth a laundry list of possible concert participants, ranging from the plausible (including Sir Elton John, who played "Candle in the Wind" at Diana's funeral, and Sting and Phil Collins, who were friends with the late princess) to the inevitable (ubiquitous Brit-pop superstars Robbie Williams and Girls Aloud) to the downright random (The Killers? Does anybody else think the connotation of their name alone makes this a bad idea?).

The princes are expected to announce further details about the concert sometime next month.

--The ARTISTdirect Staff
11.27.06