Britain’s Queen Elizabeth is set to attend the memorial service to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana.
In an unprecedented move, the monarch will reportedly cut short her annual break at Balmoral - the Scottish estate she and husband Prince Philip retreat to every summer - to return to London to pay her respects to her former daughter-in-law.
When Diana was tragically killed in Paris on August 31, 1997, the queen was criticised for deciding to stay at Balmoral with Diana’s sons, Princes William and Harry, instead of returning to the capital.
The then prime minister Tony Blair advised the queen to return to London to acknowledge her grieving public.
William and Harry are believed to have drawn up the guest list for the August 31 service at the Guards Chapel at Wellington Barracks, although the invites are yet to be sent out.
They reportedly want to invite their stepmother, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who was blamed by Diana for the breakdown of her marriage to Prince Charles.
The princes and the queen are said to want the memorial to be low key.
A source told Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper: ‘There certainly won’t be any singing from Elton John and there will be very few of Diana’s showbiz acquaintances invited.’ The memorial will coincide with a special opening of the Althrop estate where Diana is buried.
Her brother, Earl Spencer, normally closes the Northampton family estate on the anniversary but has made an exception and thousands of people are expected to go there to pay their respects.
© bangshowbiz.biz
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