Happy Birthday, Princess Di!
I always had a fascination for Lady Diana Spencer, who later became Princess Diana, the future Queen of England. When I was a kid, I used to absorb every magazine article I could get my hands on, and then collected each in an ever-growing file folder. I spouted off facts like I was a member of the Royal Family myself and felt an uncanny attachment to her, as did much of the world. When she was courted by Prince Charles, it might as well have been me. (I don't know if it's my natural inclination to marry a man who wears a kilt, or the whole little girl "Princess" fairy tale thing, but either way, Diana was living my dream.)
When Diana and Charles got married, you better believe I was up at the crack of dawn to watch the whole televised event from start to finish. Many years later, when Diana was tragically killed in a car accident in a French tunnel, I sat for hours glued to the television praying that she would pull through, and that the news couldn't possibly be true. For all the events in Diana's life in between, I watched, read about, listened and paid close attention. She was an icon, an inspiration and a philanthropist. At the same time, she was a wife (with the same problems that we all face as wives, and many more that we'll never really know about), a friend and a wonderful mother to two adoring boys.
A couple of weeks ago, I watched a Matt Lauer interview with Diana's two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. Seeing William, especially, was like seeing a glimpse of his mother on the screen again. He looks a bit like his mom, of course, but his appearance is strikingly similar. They have the same long nose and deep-set eyes, and William's mannerisms are just like Princess Diana's. The two young men talked about the anniversary of their mom's death in August, and how they were not only going to have a memorial service for her then, but a huge concert for her in July in celebration of what would have been her 46th birthday. They were inviting all her favorite singers and performers, and they thought it would be a wonderful way to honor their mother.
Well, today is Diana's birthday, and again, I was drawn to the television to be a part of her life. The six-plus hour concert aired on VH1 included such artists as Duran Duran, Tom Jones, Rod Stewart and Elton John, among many others. Each act was interspersed with video clips and interviews from people whose lives Diana touched over the years through her many charitable works. As much as I wanted to hear Elton sing his infamous version of "Goodbye, England's Rose" at today's concert, he, himself, admitted that singing it again after Diana's funeral would be "inappropriate." I'm glad that he held to his guns and didn't sing it, but instead wowed the audience with "Saturday Night's Alright" and two other numbers like only EJ could do.
The concert was definitely a hit. Over 60,000 people filled Wembley Stadium in England expecting to see an incredible show. They were not disappointed. Millions of other viewers watched around the world. They were not disappointed, either.
All joined together, on the same day, at the same time, to wish a wonderful lady, our special Lady Di, a happy birthday.
I think it was one hell of a birthday party. Wish you could have been there, Princess Diana.
When Diana and Charles got married, you better believe I was up at the crack of dawn to watch the whole televised event from start to finish. Many years later, when Diana was tragically killed in a car accident in a French tunnel, I sat for hours glued to the television praying that she would pull through, and that the news couldn't possibly be true. For all the events in Diana's life in between, I watched, read about, listened and paid close attention. She was an icon, an inspiration and a philanthropist. At the same time, she was a wife (with the same problems that we all face as wives, and many more that we'll never really know about), a friend and a wonderful mother to two adoring boys.
A couple of weeks ago, I watched a Matt Lauer interview with Diana's two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. Seeing William, especially, was like seeing a glimpse of his mother on the screen again. He looks a bit like his mom, of course, but his appearance is strikingly similar. They have the same long nose and deep-set eyes, and William's mannerisms are just like Princess Diana's. The two young men talked about the anniversary of their mom's death in August, and how they were not only going to have a memorial service for her then, but a huge concert for her in July in celebration of what would have been her 46th birthday. They were inviting all her favorite singers and performers, and they thought it would be a wonderful way to honor their mother.
Well, today is Diana's birthday, and again, I was drawn to the television to be a part of her life. The six-plus hour concert aired on VH1 included such artists as Duran Duran, Tom Jones, Rod Stewart and Elton John, among many others. Each act was interspersed with video clips and interviews from people whose lives Diana touched over the years through her many charitable works. As much as I wanted to hear Elton sing his infamous version of "Goodbye, England's Rose" at today's concert, he, himself, admitted that singing it again after Diana's funeral would be "inappropriate." I'm glad that he held to his guns and didn't sing it, but instead wowed the audience with "Saturday Night's Alright" and two other numbers like only EJ could do.
The concert was definitely a hit. Over 60,000 people filled Wembley Stadium in England expecting to see an incredible show. They were not disappointed. Millions of other viewers watched around the world. They were not disappointed, either.
All joined together, on the same day, at the same time, to wish a wonderful lady, our special Lady Di, a happy birthday.
I think it was one hell of a birthday party. Wish you could have been there, Princess Diana.
Labels: concert, Princess Diana
posted by Bridget @ 7:30 PM
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