Princess Diana's Funeral Part 6: Pavarotti Arrives

The celebrity guests continue to arrive at the Abbey including Dodi's Dad Harrods and Paris Ritz owner, Mohammed Fayed, and Betty Bothroyd: the then Speaker of the House of Commons. Also seen is Diana's close friend Richard Branson and several British politicians including then Foreign Secretary Robin Cook and former Prime Ministers Edward Heath and James Callaghan, all of whom died in 2005. Tony Blair's Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, is also seen.

Dodi's father Mohammed Al Fayed went on to concoct an elaborate and fantastical conspiracy theory implicating dozens of individuals and organisations in a supposed plot to murder Diana and his son. The allegations led to a very costly three year police investigation in Britain which found them to be nonsense:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6179275.stm

However, Mr Fayed did not back down following this stark presentation of unequivocal evidence and there was then a six month inquest in 2007/8. His bizarre and dubious version of events was rejected by a jury in April 2008 (see video response) after which he publicly retracted his allegations on television. However, ten years earlier and less than a year after Diana's death, the journalist Martyn Gregory had conducted his own investigation into Mr Fayed's claims. In June 1998, he presented this documentary:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7566018048894668637&hl=en

He went on to write his book 'Diana: The Last Days' based on what he had discovered while researching the film.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie who married Charles and Diana in 1981, making the memorable remark "This is the stuff of which fairytales are made!" also shows up. It was later said he could tell they were ill-matched and it showed in his body language during the wedding ceremony. David Dimbleby incorrectly says he will take part in the Funeral service later. Dr Runcie sadly died himself in 2000, nine years into his retirement from the Church of England.

Towards the end of the clip, the legendary Italian tenor, Luciano Pavarotti arrives and the crowd gives a cheer as he is physically helped into the Abbey by two female companions.

Luciano Pavarotti tragically died himself today 6/9/07, exactly ten years after he pulled himself out of grieving to come to his friend's funeral. R.I.P.

Category:

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• Diana
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• Wales
• Funeral
• 1997
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• Death
• London
• Pavarotti
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• Bothroyd
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• Callaghan
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• Fayed
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• Abbey

[tribecatom]

Wow, this is close to becoming the most watched of all the 39 parts of the Funeral Coverage! Before Thursday it'd only had about 4000 views.

[alex879999]

Pavarotti and Princess Diana were great friends. They now are in heaven

[ILoveTobin]

Poor Luciano, he was so stricken, that he couldn't even sing in Diana's funeral, he was sure that he will not cope with pressure of sadness when he comes over to London. Maybe they're together now in Heaven.

May they both rest in peace, they will be truly missed.

[SaberTanker22]

Pavarotti has the most wonderful voice ever along side princess Diana heart.

[MouYijian]

Pavarotti looked pretty distraught...

[Kevinasp]

William Hague and the late Robin Cook were sat alongside each other.... two brilliant parliamentary debaters....

[3NUNS]

the death was gunna come sooner or later ... may this was rather than a state funeral a funeral for a state ... a Cromwellian occasion ... a republican occasion

[swanningaround]

I thought at the time that Pavarotti's grand entrance was in bad taste. Having looked at this, I was probably mistaken. It was more the media that homed in on him.

[fantablum]

Amazing,every motley hanger on in the land going to the funeral, overseen by the greatest tv licence fee recipient family in the land the dimbelbies

[sweetypie000]

how can dimbleby be knocked out by a bull with a gash?

or was that a gash from a bull....

[alfriendo2008]

What a truly beautiful comment you have made.

[Anghellos1]

i'm italian.The Master Pavarotti was a fantastic voice and a beautiful soul. Diana was a great princess, a good woman and an angel. Italy loves Pavarotti and Diana, like the world. Rest in peace.God bless you..

[weeeric]

nice to see robin cook, front row and centre