Concert For Diana - Planning

Planning

• Footballer, David Beckham attended the concert to introduce Take That.
• In pre-concert interview Prince William listed Michael Jackson as one of Diana's most favourite music acts but the performer did not appear on the show. In 1997 Jackson cancelled his world tour concert in Belgium due to the emotional shock of Diana's death, attended an LA memorial service dedicated to her, granted his Gone Too Soon song to the Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute album, and gave his memories on being friends with Diana to Barbara Walters in an internationally televised interview.
• In one of the many tabloid stories that surfaced relating to the concert and the following week's Live Earth event it was alleged Madonna, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Keane, and other acts were set to play at the concert but were lost to the upcoming Live Earth show. The concert organisers were apparently trying to secure their top acts, and are also being pressured into rethinking their lineup to appeal to younger people, and compare to Live Earth.
• Catherine Middleton, now Prince William's wife, and Chelsy Davy, the girlfriend of Prince Harry, attended the concert. It has been rumoured that they were involved in helping to plan the event.
• Queen guitarist Brian May, expected to perform alongside Joss Stone in her version of Under Pressure, pulled out of accompanying Stone after finding the new arrangement of his band's song "different... from the original".
• According to certain sources, Bryan Adams was barred by the Princes because they did not want any controversy to surround the event. This controversy would stem from rumours that Adams and Diana were romantically involved. Adams, however, was playing in Budapest, Hungary the night before, and would have found it difficult to appear in the Diana show even if he had been asked.
• The Spice Girls were set to perform at the concert, but did not appear as Emma Bunton was heavily pregnant and due to give birth.
• Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall decided not to attend the Concert nor the Memorial Service on 31 August 2007, at the Guards Chapel out of respect for the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales. Had Camilla attended it could have caused great public embarrassment.