Princess Diana's Funeral Part 21: The Bells and The Applause

"The Half Muffled Bells of Westminster Abbey ring out their quarter peal across an unusually still London."

The Welsh Guards march with the coffin outside as Tom Fleming reads his own moving tribute in which he refers to Mother Theresa who died the day before the funeral. The organ starts up J.S. Bach's Prelude in C Minor BWV 546, which was requested by Diana's mother.

Diana's family line up to bid to coffin farewell as the soldiers load it into the hearse with the registration number B626 MRK; passing it to the care of Leverton & Sons, the North London Funeral Directors who have the Royal Charter. The commentary is then passed back to David Dimbleby.

The hearse then departs and the crowd bursts into rapturous applause as it goes up Broad Sanctuary towards Parliament Square.

It has become customary in Britain to applaud at funerals of public figures ever since this moment. (See video response of the 2005 funeral of Robin Cook who was Tony Blair's Foreign Secretary between 1997 and 2001. He can be seen in Part 6 of this compilation of videos arriving for Diana's funeral)

The age of the of footage is confirmed by the absence of anti-war protestor Brian Haw who took up an indefinite, continuous vigil on the square opposite the gates to the Houses of Parliament in 2001 which is still going on in 2009, despite the Government passing a law in Parliament aimed at getting rid of him. The position he occupies is on the east side of Parliament Square across from the 'Keep Clear' signs painted on the road. You can also see the cranes that were building Portcullis House across the street from Big Ben. The London Eye is conspicuous by its absence from the sky. How things change in twleve years...

The Hearse proceeds up Whitehall, passing Downing Street and the Cenotaph, and then goes through the archway into Horseguards as the applause reaches crescendo.

Next Part: The Hearse begins its hour long journey through London, accompanied by applause all along the way.

20/4/10: Commentator Tom Fleming died today. God bless you Tom, you did your job so well this day. Your beautiful voice will be hugely missed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8630795.stm

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Diana
• Princess
• of
• Wales
• Funeral
• 1997
• BBC
• Death
• London
• Church
• Bells
• Damlier
• Hearse
• Brian
• Haw.

[Kr8mer]

the producer shouldve told the presenter to STFU and not talk over the bells and the applause.

[tribecatom]

As I say below, in 1997, most people would have been very sad at this moment and it was comforting to hear Tom Fleming's (who's voice is familiar to British TV audiences on state occasions) warm words. You should get the CD of the fineral if you want to hear it without commentary.

Personally, as I've said before, I think what he had to say was very poignant and touching and a fitting tribute to Diana.

[szqsk8]

The announcer of this is very annoying. why must he talk over the music, the choir and the bells? He should have shut the heck up!

[tribecatom]

@szqsk8 other ppl have commented on this over the two and a half years or so. My own thoughts are that when this was being broadcast live in 1997, many people watching would have been very upset and I think the words Tom Fleming spoke were very touching and would have provided some comfort to those who were crying. For myself, I was totally devastated at this moment and I think it was better to hear someone's voice than the bells and solemn organ music on their own.

[warehambears13]

I think these bells are a great mark of respect for the life of Diana. Not scary at all.

[tribecatom]

Quite right, what's scary about some church bells?

[pennylaneable]

@2468HOTROD I don't think that will ever happen!

[snazzzzz]

Will never forget the peal of those bells, the sound of them was other-worldly like nothing Id ever heard before, intensely moving....

[BIGTAM60]

i was in buckingham palace that day as a guardsman was very weird nobody believed it everyone was crying at the gates on guard mount i saw the boxer prince nassem bringing flowers up 2 the gates crying when i was collecting the bandstands

[Brenda2OOO]

The bells are wonderful. They are almost alive.

[Carminaburana1000]

Diana Prinzessin der Herzen.Du warst ein wunderbarer Mensch.Ich werde Dich nie vergessen!

[2468HOTROD]

I hope, when Prince William becomes King, that he will have Diana's remains moved to a more prominent place which she surely deserves.

[jonsabine29]

R.I.P Tom Fleming

[djchash]

Im from Turkey but no matter who im. We do like Princess Diana and still i cant believe Princess Diana death and i cant believe it was a accident :( we do love Princess Diana and always we will you remember you Princess Diana :( :( :(

You will be my our Princess gd bless.

[Mugsysam]

@Squall1981 So well said about the bells....I thought the same exact thing when I saw this again for the first time in a long time....I will never forget those bells for as long as I live....for whatever reason, and not that we all didn't know this before, but it to me solidified how big of a loss Diana was to the entire world......That is what I can remember thinking when I heard the bells ring that day....makes me cry even now all these years later.....

[tacorontian]

ding dong dang dung deng

ding dong dang dung deng

so british bells song

lovely