Prince William & Prince Harry organise a Concert for Diana - 1st July 2007 - Wembley Stadium, London
Here is the official interview with Prince William and Prince Harry about the concert:
Q
Next year is the tenth anniversary of the loss of your mother. How are you planning to mark this?
Prince William
Next year we hope to commemorate and celebrate our mother's life, as it's been ten years since she died, with a memorial service on August 31st in London. And then a concert, a tribute concert, celebrating her life on July 1st on her birthday.
Q
Harry, who will be attending the church service?
Prince Harry
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 and lots of loud hymns, I Vow To Thee My Country, all the good ones. And, no, it should be a very sort of simple and nice service.
Q
And I think you're both very closely involved in the organisation of these events, both the church service and the concert. Tell us a bit about that…
Prince William
Well we both wanted to put our stamp on it. We want it to represent exactly what our mother would have wanted; how she was and all that sort of thing. So therefore the church service alone isn't enough. We wanted to have this big concert with, you know, 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. And with it we can, by, the two of us organising it…we wanted to have the fact that the evening is all about our mother. The main purpose is to celebrate and to have fun and to remember her in a fun way.
Q
It sounds like an amazing concert. Have you got some exciting artists already lined up?
Prince William
Yeah, we've got some brilliant people coming and we really want to thank everyone who's taken part and who's given up their time to come. And loads of people coming from, from far away and across the ocean and things like that. So really, really kind. But to name a few, because we don't want to name everyone because we want to keep a surprise…we've got Sir Elton John; we've got the English National Ballet; Andrew Lloyd Webber is doing an exclusive sort of greatest hits bit; and then we've got Pharrell Williams…
Prince Harry
And Joss Stone. There's plenty, plenty more, don't worry!
Prince William
That's a little flavour.
Prince Harry
A little flavour.
Prince William
But the idea is we wanted to get artists that our mother really loved, and then artists that both Harry and I enjoy, and in the middle with the ballet and Andrew Lloyd Webber - obviously she loved her dancing and her musicals. So with that you've got a sort of something different, it's not just any old concert. It's going to be different and it's going to be interesting. If it works it will be brilliant, if it doesn't then we won't be in the country!
Prince Harry
You won't see us for a very long time.
Q
And will we see you dancing?
Prince William
I really hope not!
Prince Harry
I hope so! Him, not me. I hope that we can get the chance to see him dance.
Prince William
It'll be a terrifying sight if we do. But, yeah well, you know –
Prince Harry
We'll be kicking around, we'll be there… we should be on stage at some point. Probably at the beginning of the night - not towards the end.
Q
That sounds like an amazing line up and of course it will be one of the first concerts to be held at the new Wembley Stadium, that's quite an exciting prospect.
Prince William
It is absolutely brilliant. We're really lucky that we've got the Wembley Stadium and the Arena. And along with a whole load of partners who are helping along, in the whole event, it should run really smoothly and they've given up so much of their time to help. And of course having Wembley itself is brilliant. And not that the President of the FA had anything to do with it, but it's, it's brilliant, it really is and it's the best place to have it next year definitely.
Q
So have you decided upon a name for the concert yet?
Prince William
Yes, we've decided that it's going to be called Concert for Diana, because obviously the evening is going to be purely about her. And, as we both want to make sure, first and foremost the evening is for her. It's to remember her and to commemorate her life and celebrate it.
Q
I think you're also hoping to raise some money for some charities as well?
Prince William
Yes, we are. We're raising money for Centrepoint and Sentebale. I'm Patron of Centrepoint and Harry's Patron of Sentebale. They're both charities that continue on from our mother's legacy. And also for the Diana Memorial Fund and her five main charities that she was patron of, or had a great deal of interest in, just before she died.
Q
And I think you went to Centrepoint with your mother, is that right?
Prince William
I did, yes, when I was very small, yes. She dragged me out and I didn't know what was going on or where I was or anything, but it's a visit that stayed with me for ever. And, yes, that's true. And I'm very glad that she did. And it's a wonderful charity and I really hope we can do an awful lot for them.
Q
And Harry, you setting up Sentebale in Lesotho, that was a way, I think you said, of continuing your mother's legacy and her work with those suffering with Aids and HIV.
Prince Harry
Very, very much so. As I mentioned two years ago or so, Lesotho was a country that we just, we chose because of the fact that it wasn't even on the map. I'd never heard of it, and the problems it has with Aids. So, obviously, it's associated with all the countries that she's been to as well, when she was around. So it's just a chance to sort of carry on what she left behind really.
The Concert is on 1st July 2007 at Wembley Stadium. The London Community Gospel Choir will be supporting Andrew Lloyd Webber at the concert. For more details about the concert please go to www.concertfordiana.com
