NEWS

'Dear Queen of Hearts, thank you'

August 29, 2007 17:01 IST
The flowers are back at the gates of Kensington Palace in central London.

A couple of days before Princess Diana's tenth death anniversary, roses, flyers, hearts, photographs and cards have appeared outside the palace which used to be her home, and at Pont de l'Alma, Paris, where she was fatally injured in a car crash on August 31, 1997.

Like 10 years ago, there are loads of messages for her:

'Dear Queen of Hearts, thank you for your warm smile that melted all our woes at once.'

'You are simply the best.'

'Diana, Princess of Wales 1961-1997, still loved and remembered in 2007.'

The teddy bears have not arrived yet, but we expect they will.

Also See: Celebrating Di

Tourists visiting London or Paris are stopping by at Pont de l'Alma or Kensington Palace to either leave a message, read the flyers posted or to have a photograph taken at the spot. At Pont de l'Alma, fans have taken over the statue of the golden flame (that mirrors the torch of the Statue of Liberty, New York, given to America by the French) and have assumed it to be in honour of her.

A special memorial ceremony celebrating Diana's life will be held at the Guards Chapel, near Buckingham Palace, on August 31. Diana's sons Prince Harry and Prince William had requested a private ceremony and the public will not be invited although they are sure to be present outside the church in their thousands.

The entire royal family will attend, except Prince Charles's wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, Prince Andrew's ex-wife. Some 450 guests have been invited, including singer Elton John, Diana's brother Earl Spencer, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former British prime minister Tony Blair (who famously called Diana the People's Princess after her death), Camilla (half-sister of Dodi al-Fayed, who died with Diana), celebrity photographer Mario Testino, singer Cliff Richard and director Richard Attenborough. The event will be televised worldwide on BBC and ITV.

Photograph: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

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