Funeral Of Diana, Princess Of Wales
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The funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, started on Saturday 6 September 1997 at 9:08am in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, when the tenor bell of Westminster Abbey started tolling to signal the departure of the cortège from Kensington Palace. Diana's coffin was carried from the palace on a gun carriage by riders of the King's Troop and escorted by mounted police along Hyde Park to
St James's Palace St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, England. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster. Although no longer the principal residence ...
, where her body had remained for five days before being taken to Kensington Palace. The
Union Flag The Union Jack or Union Flag is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags. It is sometimes a ...
on top of the palace was lowered to half mast. The official ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey in London and finished at the resting place in Diana's family estate of Althorp,
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...
. Two thousand people attended the ceremony in Westminster Abbey while the British television audience was 32.10 million on average, one of the United Kingdom's highest viewing figures ever. An estimated 2 to 2.5 billion people watched the event worldwide, making it one of the biggest televised events in history.


Funeral

Diana's coffin, draped with the royal standard with a differentiating ermine border (i.e. the Other Members' standard), had been brought to London from the Salpêtrière Hospital, via Vélizy – Villacoublay Air Base,
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, to
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by Diana's former husband
Charles, Prince of Wales Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, a ...
, and her two sisters on 31 August 1997. After being taken to a private mortuary, it was placed at the
Chapel Royal A chapel royal is an establishment in the British and Canadian royal households serving the spiritual needs of the sovereign and the royal family. Historically, the chapel royal was a body of priests and singers that travelled with the monarc ...
,
St James's Palace St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, England. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster. Although no longer the principal residence ...
, and later taken to Kensington Palace the night before the funeral. The funeral plan for the Queen Mother, codenamed “Operation Tay Bridge”, had been rehearsed for 22 years and was used as the basis for Diana's funeral. However, the event was not a
state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements o ...
; instead, it was a royal ceremonial funeral that included royal pageantry and
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
funeral liturgy. A large display of flowers was installed at the gates of Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace. Eight members of the Welsh Guards accompanied Diana's coffin on the one-hour-forty-seven-minute ride through London streets. On top of the coffin were three wreaths of white flowers from her brother, the Earl Spencer, and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. There was also a letter from Prince Harry on her coffin addressed to "Mummy". The coffin bore a weight of a quarter of a tonne (250 kg / approx 550 lb) as it was lined with lead, as is tradition with British royalty. At St James's Palace, Prince Philip, the Prince of Wales, her sons, and her brother joined to walk behind. Five hundred representatives of various charities the Princess had been involved with joined behind them in the funeral cortège. Alastair Campbell later revealed in his diaries that the government and the royal household feared for the security of Prince Charles, believing that he would possibly get attacked by the crowd, thus they ensured that he would be accompanied by his sons. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, initially opposed the idea of William and Harry taking part in the funeral procession, but ultimately decided to walk besides them, telling his grandsons "I'll walk if you walk." William later described the experience as "one of the hardest things I've ever done", and Harry mentioned no child "should be asked to do" what they did. Nevertheless, William saw the act as a necessity to maintain "balance between duty and family" and Harry said that he was "very glad" that he took part in the procession. In his 2023 memoir '' Spare'', Harry claimed that the idea of having the boys walk behind their mother's coffin horrified several adults, in particular their uncle Lord Spencer who described it as "a barbarity." Spencer has previously stated that he felt he was lied to about the boys' desire to do the task. Harry also claimed that there were suggestions that William should walk behind the coffin alone, but Harry refused to allow it as had the roles been reversed William would have done the same. The coffin then passed
Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...
where members of the royal family were waiting outside.
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
bowed her head as it went by."The Last Journey Begins"
. BBC. Retrieved 8 June 2012
More than one million people lined the streets of London, and flowers rained down onto the cortège from bystanders.
. ''The Independent''. Retrieved 8 June 2012
Two screens were erected to relay the Westminster Abbey service in Hyde Park. The ceremony at Westminster Abbey opened at 11:00 BST and lasted one hour and ten minutes. The royal family placed wreaths alongside Diana's coffin in the presence of Britain's living former prime ministers –
John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British retired politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. Following his defeat to Ton ...
,
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...
,
James Callaghan Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff ( ; 27 March 191226 March 2005) was a British statesman and Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the L ...
and Edward Heath – and former Conservative MP
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
, the grandson of World War II-era Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill. British personalities who attended included Sir
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, Sir
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
,
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, Chris de Burgh, Michael Barrymore,
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, and
Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, film director, and Film producer, producer. Attenborough was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Acade ...
; international guests included US First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Secretary of State
Henry Kissinger Henry Alfred Kissinger (May 27, 1923 – November 29, 2023) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 56th United States secretary of state from 1973 to 1977 and the 7th National Security Advisor (United States), natio ...
, William J. Crowe, French First Lady
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, Egyptian First Lady
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, Queen Noor of Jordan, Tom Hanks,
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,
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
, Luciano Pavarotti,
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, Nicole Kidman, Ruby Wax, Imran Khan and his then wife, Jemima Goldsmith. The prime minister,
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, read an excerpt from First Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter 13: "And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love". Among other invitees were the
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, Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, the
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and Crown Princess of Japan, the deposed King Constantine II of Greece, and South African president
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. The
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, George Carey, and the Dean of Westminster, Wesley Carr, were also present in the abbey and delivered the bidding, the prayers, and the commendation. The service was sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey and conducted by Organist and Master of the Choristers, Martin Neary; the organist was Martin Baker. Music before the service included the hymn tune "Eventide", " Adagio in E", the hymn tune " Rhosymedre", ''Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ'', BWV 639, " Fantasia in C minor, BWV 537", " Adagio in G minor", " Symphony No. 9", Pachelbel's Canon (which was misidentified by the commentator as " Albinoni's Adagio"), and Variation IX (Adagio) "Nimrod". The Anglican service opened with the traditional singing of " God Save the Queen". The funeral started with the choir singing the ''Funeral Sentences'', composed by William Croft and
Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: ; September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer of Baroque music, most remembered for his more than 100 songs; a tragic opera, Dido and Aeneas, ''Dido and Aeneas''; and his incidental music to a version o ...
. Pieces by
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, Antonín Dvořák,
Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (, , 9October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano ...
, Gustav Holst, and other composers were played throughout the ceremony. The
hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...
s were '' I Vow to Thee, My Country'', by Sir Cecil Spring Rice to the tune by Gustav Holst; '' The King of Love My Shepherd Is'' by Henry Baker to the tune ''Dominus Regit Me'' by John Bacchus Dykes; '' Make Me a Channel of Your Peace'' to the tune by Sebastian Temple and '' Guide me, O thou great Redeemer'', by William Williams to the tune '' Cwm Rhondda'' by John Hughes. The chant '' Libera me'' was sung by the BBC Singers, together with Lynne Dawson, to the tune by
Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...
. During the service, Elton John sang a 1997 rendition of " Candle in the Wind", with new lyrics written as a tribute to Diana. He had contacted his writing partner Bernie Taupin, asking him to revise the lyrics of his 1973
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tribute song "Candle in the Wind" to honour Diana, and Taupin rewrote the song accordingly. Only a month before Diana's death she had been photographed comforting John at the funeral of their mutual friend
Gianni Versace Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace (; 2 December 1946 – 15 July 1997) was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman. He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-up ...
at
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.Fred Bronson ''The Billboard book of number one hits'' p. 860. '' Billboard Books'', 1997 Files released by The National Archives showed that the Dean of Westminster, Wesley Carr, had personally appealed to senior aides at the palace to secure John's performance at the funeral, insisting on the "inclusion of something of the modern world that the princess represented". A solo performance by a saxophonist had been considered as a second option. Diana's sister
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gave the first reading, a poem titled ''Turn Again To Life'' by Mary Lee Hall, and her other sister Jane gave the second reading, a poem titled ''Time Is'' taken from ''Music and Other Poems'' by Henry van Dyke Jr. Her brother Charles gave the eulogy, in which he rebuked both the royal family and the press for their treatment of his sister. "It is a point to remember that of all the ironies about Diana, perhaps the greatest was this – a girl given the name of the ancient goddess of hunting was, in the end, the most hunted person of the modern age," Spencer said during his speech. " Song for Athene" by British composer
John Tavener Sir John Kenneth Tavener (28 January 1944 – 12 November 2013) was an English composer, known for his extensive output of choral religious music, religious works. Among his best known works are ''The Lamb (Tavener), The Lamb'' (1982), ''The ...
, with text by Mother Thekla, a Greek Orthodox nun, drawn from the Orthodox liturgy and Shakespeare's ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'', was sung as Diana's cortège departed from the main nave of Westminster Abbey. This was followed after a one-minute silence by half-muffled
change ringing Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuning (music), tuned bell (instrument), bells in a tightly controlled manner to produce precise variations in their successive striking sequences, known as "changes". This can be by method ringing in ...
on the abbey's ten bells.


Burial

The burial occurred privately later the same day. Diana's former husband, sons, mother, siblings, a close friend, and a clergyman were present. Diana's body was clothed in a black long-sleeved, three-quarter length woollen cocktail dress designed by Catherine Walker which she had chosen some weeks before, a pair of black pantyhose, and a pair of black shoes. A set of
rosary The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct from other forms of rosary such as the ...
beads was placed in her hands, a gift she had received from
Mother Teresa Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu (born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, ; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa or Saint Mother Teresa, was an Albanian-Indian Catholic Church, Roman Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of ...
, who died the same week as Diana. In her hands there was also a photograph of her sons, which travelled around with her and had been found in her handbag. Her grave is on an island () within the grounds of Althorp Park, the Spencer family home for centuries. The ground was
consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
by the Bishop of Peterborough prior to the burial. At the ceremony, the Royal Standard which had covered the coffin was removed. Paul Burrell, Diana's former butler, claimed that the standard had been removed by Diana's brother moments before she was buried, and replaced with the Spencer family flag. He claimed the Earl said that "She (Diana) is a Spencer now." Burrell also condemned the move, telling the ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
'' that "It had more to do with his Spencer v Windsor war than doing what Diana would have wanted. It was inappropriate and disrespectful. I knew it was not what Diana would have wanted. With that act, her brother was depriving the Princess of her proper status in life – a status of which she was proud." Lord Spencer called Burrell's comments "hurtful lies" and said in a statement: "The Queen's standard was removed as part of the ceremony by her own officer in a dignified and pre-agreed manner". The original plan was for Diana to be buried in the Spencer family vault at the local St Mary’s Church in nearby Great Brington, but Lord Spencer said that he was concerned about public safety and security and the onslaught of visitors that might overwhelm Great Brington. He decided that Diana would be buried where her grave could be easily cared for and visited in privacy by William, Harry, and other Spencer relatives. The island is in an ornamental lake known as The Round Oval within Althorp Park's gardens. A path with thirty-six oak trees, marking each year of her life, leads to the Oval. Four black swans swim in the lake. In the water there are water lilies, which, in addition to white roses, were Diana's favourite flowers. On the southern verge of the Round Oval sits the Summerhouse, previously in the gardens of Admiralty House, London, and now adapted to serve as a memorial to Diana. An ancient
arboretum An arboretum (: arboreta) is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees and shrubs of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, many modern arbor ...
stands nearby, which contains trees planted by the family. The Spencer family's decision to bury the Princess in this secluded – and private – location has enabled them to visit her grave in private. The burial party was provided by the 2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires), who were given the honour of carrying the Princess across to the island and laying her to rest. Diana was the Regiment's Colonel-in-Chief from 1992 to 1996.


Services elsewhere

On the same day, services of commemoration and events honouring the Princess were held in various cities and towns across the United Kingdom and many streets remained deserted with the population watching the funeral broadcast at their homes. In
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
the national minute's silence started with "a maroon flare fired by mortar from the roof of the Victorian Town Hall" and ended "by the pealing of a single muffled bell". People gathered in the Albert Square and visited the
Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
to sign the book of condolences. The Lord Mayor, Gerry Carroll, laid a bouquet as a tribute to the Princess on behalf of the city. In
Bolton Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...
a memorial service was held with leaders from all churches in attendance, followed by another memorial service in Blackburn Cathedral. In
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
people came together at the Parish Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas to pay their respects. In Scotland, the funeral was broadcast to mourners on screens set up at the Ross Theatre in Edinburgh. A memorial service was held in Diana's honour, at which the Queen's chaplain in Scotland, Charles Robertson, officiated. In
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
, the mayor and deputy mayor laid a wreath at the city Cenotaph. Large crowds showed up in the streets of Cardiff to watch the funeral on screens. A service was held at Llandaff Cathedral, attended by 700 guests, including the Secretary of State for Wales Ron Davies, Cardiff's Lord Mayor Max Phillips, as well as MPs and volunteers from Diana's charities. Toll booths on Severn Bridges remained closed during the national minute's silence. On Sunday, 7 September, an additional service for Diana was held at Westminster Abbey in response to popular demand.


Outside of Britain

The Irish national flag was also flown at half-mast on all state buildings on the day of Diana's funeral. On the same day, a memorial service was held at Washington National Cathedral and was attended by 2,170 people including the British ambassador John Kerr, the US ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson, and chairman of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' Co. executive committee Katharine Graham. In
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, a group of mourners organised a traditional wake, or ''pongipongi'', after the funeral.


Media coverage

David Dimbleby presented the funeral on the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, while Trevor McDonald fronted the
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coverage, and was joined by a team of correspondents including John Suchet and Julia Somerville. Dimbleby began to follow the footsteps of his father,
Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...
, in leading the BBC during their coverage of big television events and state occasions. By coincidence, the elder Dimbleby presented the previous great state occasion, the state funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965. The world-wide television audience for the event has been estimated between 2 and 2.5 billion people, In the United Kingdom, the funeral was watched by 31 million, making it one of the most watched live broadcasts to date (second only to the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final). In North America, which is five to nine hours behind
British Summer Time During British Summer Time (BST), civil time in the United Kingdom is advanced one hour forward of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), in effect changing the time zone from UTC+00:00 to UTC+01:00, so that mornings have one hour less daylight, and eve ...
, the funeral occurred during the time usually taken up by network
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programmes, but the networks in the United States and Canada sent their top presenters. The funeral took place in the early morning hours of a Saturday, a time that the networks air cartoons, but nevertheless, the main networks in the United States ( ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox) and Canada ( CBC, CTV, and
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) broadcast the funeral. The funeral attracted 33.2 million viewers in
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. In Australia, which is eight to eleven hours ahead of
British Summer Time During British Summer Time (BST), civil time in the United Kingdom is advanced one hour forward of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), in effect changing the time zone from UTC+00:00 to UTC+01:00, so that mornings have one hour less daylight, and eve ...
, the funeral took place on a Saturday night their time, which meant Australians were at home watching television. All four television networks ( ABC,
Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...
,
Nine Network Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...
, and Network 10) carried coverage of the funeral, with Nine Network having the highest ratings, with 1.65 million viewers.
BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...
broadcast the funeral in 44 languages around the world.


See also

* Concert for Diana * List of largest funerals


References


Further reading

* * * *


External links


Order of Service for the funeral


* ttps://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/aug/31/monarchy Order of Service for the 2007 thanksgiving service {{DEFAULTSORT:Diana, Princess of Wales, Funeral of
Funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...
1997 in London 1990s in the City of Westminster 1990s in Northamptonshire Ceremonial funerals in the United Kingdom Diana History of Northamptonshire September 1997 in the United Kingdom Westminster Abbey