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ABC NEWS SPECIAL: FUNERAL OF PRINCESS DIANA (TV)

Summary

This program is a special broadcast of the funeral of the former Princess of Wales, Lady Diana Spencer, an event that was broadcast around the world. As the telecast begins, anchor Peter Jennings outlines the day's events. At 9:05 AM, London time, the funeral procession begins outside of Kensington Palace: a gun carriage takes the former princess's coffin toward Westminster Abbey, escorted by twelve members of the Mounted Kings Troop. Cynthia McFadden comments on the crowds outside of Buckingham Palace, and Jennings explains the history of the Welsh guards who accompany the former princess's coffin. Remarking on the crowds' silence are Aaron Brown, reporting from the northwest side of Hyde Park, and royal biographer Sarah Bradford, who recalls the burial of Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the Royal Family's unique gesture of draping the Queen's standard over the coffin. Walters explains Prince Charles's role in the preparation of the coffin and funeral. Royal biographer Anthony Holden comments on the ways Diana Spencer changed England and how the past week has been an emotional battle of "people power versus palace power." Footage of people entering Westminster Abbey is then interspersed with the procession. ABC News consultant and royal biographer Andrew Morton describes how American women could relate to Lady Diana Spencer; he remarks on Diana's gifts to the world, her feelings about death, and the stability she had found in life. Next, Jennings remarks on the death of Mother Theresa, and then notes complaints about the gun carriage carrying Diana, since she had lobbied against land mines. Then, anchor Barbara Walters lists the guests and events that are anticipated at the unique service. Jennings asks Bradford and Morton for their reactions to Queen Elizabeth's live television speech and to the way newly-elected Prime Minister Tony Blair is guiding the Royal Family back into public esteem, and Morton notes that Prince William has inherited Diana's popularity. The former princess's stepmother enters Westminster Abbey as Jennings and Walters describe the history of the structure. Subsequent highlights include: audience applause for a close friend of Lady Diana's; footage of Prime Minister Blair's emotional comments about Diana; comments on the crowds' mixed feelings about the queen's decision to leave the Royal Standard flying at full-mast; remarks by Walters and British commentators about the clash of generations and value systems that defined the relationship between Lady Diana and Queen Elizabeth; footage of Mohammed al-Fayed arriving at Westminster Abbey; and the anchors' comments on Diana's famous last words. Next, Luciano Pavarotti, Liberal Democrat party leader Paddy Ashdown, and Elton John separately arrive at Westminster Abbey as the procession passes Hyde Park. Morton comments on Diana's empathetic ability to help people who felt like outsiders and her decision to touch people with AIDS, followed by footage of crowds in Times Square; Hong Kong; Atlanta, Georgia; and Washington, D.C. As the procession moves under Constitutional Arch, Tony and Cherie Blair arrive at Westminster Abbey, and the correspondents remark on such guests as diplomat Henry Kissinger and film director Lord Richard Attenborough. As Queen Elizabeth and members of the Royal Family walk through the courtyard of Buckingham Palace, viewers are told that the family will not appear on camera while watching the service. Following footage of crowds watching the procession from the Skydome in Toronto, Jennings talks to the children of America about the events unfolding. The Queen bows her head as Diana's coffin passes in front of her, and pipers join the funeral procession as it passes St. James's Palace, where Princes Charles, Henry, and William, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Earl of Spencer prepare to follow the gun carriage to Westminster Abbey. Jennings explains the relationship between Prince Charles and Camilla Bowles, and Walters considers her future role in his life. Behind the gun carriage is "Diana's Procession," which features representatives of the many charities with which Diana was personally involved. Next, Diana's mother, Frances Shand-Kydd, and her sisters enter Westminster Abbey; the ninety-seven-year-old Queen Mother rides in a car toward Westminster Abbey; Jennings offers a history of the Horse Guards Arch of Whitehall Palace as the procession beneath it; and the crowds applaud when the Union Jack is lowered to half-mast. The correspondents note Diana's feelings about the type of king that Prince Charles would make and the raising of her children. Jennings lists the people inside of Westminster Abbey as the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II enter the church. McFadden comments on the crowd's reaction to the lowering of the flag, and the coffin is removed from the gun carriage and brought into Westminster Abbey.

The national anthem is sung, and the Rev. Dr. Wesley Carry Carr begins the ceremony by speaking about Diana as a princess and a human being, and emphasizing the need for people to rededicate themselves to the work of the charities she supported; "I Vow to Thee My Country" is sung at the request of Prince William; Diana's eldest sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, delivers the first reading; soloist Lynne Dawson and the BBC singers perform a piece by Giuseppe Verdi; Diana's older sister, Lady Jane Fellowes, delivers the second reading; "The King of Love My Shepherd Is"; Prime Minister Tony Blair reads a blessing from Corinthians 1:13; and Elton John performs a new version of "Candle in the Wind," followed by applause outside of Westminster Abbey. Then, Earl Spencer delivers a eulogy and remarks on the following topics: the way people all over the world are paying tribute to Lady Diana; the way Diana represents selfless humanity; her ability to remain classless; the fact that she did not need a royal title to accomplish her "magic"; the concept of canonizing her; her humour and intuition; her ability to help outsiders like herself; his last visit with Diana; and the media's quest to bring her down. Earl Spencer also pledges that the Spencer family will keep her sons on the "imaginative path" that Diana would have wanted them to follow. The following events then occur: "Make Me a Channel of Your Peace" is performed; the Rev. Dr. George Carey, the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, delivers a speech in which he thanks the Lord for having given the world Diana and recognizes the grief of Dodi Al-Fayed's family; "Air From Country Derry" is performed; "The Lord's Prayer" is recited; Wesley Carr delivers a final speech; and Diana's coffin is carried out of Westminster Abbey and placed in a hearse. Interspersed throughout the ceremony is footage of viewers watching from around the world, including Hyde Park, Toronto, Atlanta, Royal Preston Hospital, and Washington, D.C. Following the funeral is a moment of silence for Diana, during which photos of mourners and of the former princess are shown. People applaud for Lady Diana Spencer as the hearse leaves Westminster Abbey; Aaron Brown and Cynthia McFadden report on the public's reaction to the funeral; and Peter Jennings comments on Earl Spencer's speech. Also included is footage of people watching the funeral from Sarajevo, including a fifteen-year-old victim of a land mine. Andrew Morton, Anthony Holden, and Sarah Bradford comment on Earl Spencer's speech; Barbara Walters comments on the need for the royal family to make changes; and Morton calls Diana an icon for the modern age. Brown talks to people at Hyde Park as the hearse moves toward Althrop in the county of Northamptonshire, where Diana's body will be interned; Jennings comments on the ribbons that people are wearing; Walters lists the charities with which Diana was involved and the memorial fund that has been established; Morton talks about the spontaneous eruption of ongoing grief and the "unBritish" applause at the funeral; and McFadden talks to people at Buckingham Palace, including a man who met Lady Diana at the homeless shelter where he resides. Part two concludes with footage from Elton John's performance of "Candle in the Wind."

Live interviews with the anchors are interspersed with taped footage of the day's events. In the first interview, Mary Robertson, an American who had employed Diana as a nanny, talks with anchors Peter Jennings and Barbara Walters about how she learned that Diana held the title of Lady, and what being inside of the Abbey during the service was like. In the second interview, designer Valentino talks with the anchors about the ceremony, his memories of Dodi Al-Fayed and Diana as guests on his yacht, his opinion of Earl Spencer's speech, his impression of the future of the monarchy, and how Diana evolved as a person. In the third interview, Lord Palumbo, who was a friend of Lady Diana's, talks about the ceremony and the signifigance of Diana's death, and shares a personal memory of Diana. In the fourth interview, Lord Richard Attenborough comments on the five mourners that followed the gun carriage, the charities that Diana backed, Earl Spencer, and Diana's legacy. In the fifth interview, Patrick Jephson, Diana's former private press secretary, comments on the following: the mood at Westminster Abbey, the moments in the service that he found significant, Diana's problems with royal protocol, what working for Diana was like, the concept of making her a saint, and how Prince Charles treats his sons. Following this is footage of Prince Charles and his sons leaving for Great Brington. Interspersed between the interviews are clips of the procession passing Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace, and clips of Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Spencer family arriving seperately at Westminster Abbey. After these interviews, the entire funeral ceremony at Westminster Abbey is re-broadcast. During the funeral, the following events occur: Diana's body is carried into Westminster Abbey as the national anthem is sung; the Rev. Dr. Wesley Carry Carr begins the ceremony by speaking about Diana as a princess and a human being, and emphasizing the need for people to rededicate themselves to the work of the charities she supported; "I Vow to Thee My Country" is sung at the request of Prince William; Diana's eldest sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, delivers the first reading; soloist Lynne Dawson and the BBC singers perform a piece by Giuseppe Verdi; Diana's older sister, Lady Jane Fellowes, delivers the second reading; "The King of Love My Shepherd Is"; Prime Minister Tony Blair reads a blessing from Corinthians 1:13; and Elton John performs a new version of "Candle in the Wind," followed by applause outside of Westminster Abbey. Then, Earl Spencer delivers a eulogy and remarks on the following topics: the way people all over the world are paying tribute to Lady Diana; the way Diana represents selfless humanity; her ability to remain classless; the fact that she did not need a royal title to accomplish her "magic"; the concept of canonizing her; her humour and intuition; her ability to help outsiders like herself; his last visit with Diana; and the media's quest to bring her down. Earl Spencer also pledges that the Spencer family will keep her sons on the "imaginative path" that Diana would have wanted them to follow. Following this is a performance of "Make Me a Channel of Your Peace."

In a speech by Dr. George Carey, the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, he thanks the Lord for having given the world Diana and recognizes the grief of Dodi al-Fayed's family; "Air From Country Derry" is performed; "The Lord's Prayer" is recited; Wesley Carr delivers a final speech; and Diana's coffin is carried out of Westminster Abbey and placed in a hearse. Following this is footage of the hearse holding Lady Diana's body arriving in Harlestone, England, a town that is near the Spencer family estate, where Diana is to be interned. Jim Wooten comments that Diana was not a commoner but an aristocrat. Anchors Peter Jennings and Barbara Walters comment on Diana's lonely childhood and the amount of flowers that the people of England are purchasing in honor of Lady Diana's death. Wooten comments on the decision to bury her on the estate, and Sarah Bradford comments on the service at Westminster Abbey. Once the hearse enters the estate, Anthony Holden talks about the change in England's national character and the fact that England has become a warmer and more human country. Michael Cole, the spokesperson for the al-Fayed family, talks with the anchors about Dodi and Diana's relationship, the private last words of Diana, and the investigation into the deaths of Dodi and Diana. Then, Jennings relates President Bill Clinton's comments on the deaths of Lady Diana and Mother Theresa, after which Andrew Morton, Cynthia McFadden, Aaron Brown, and Barbara Walters relate final words about the unique funeral of Lady Diana Spencer. Various photos of Diana are featured as the program concludes. Includes commercials.

Cataloging of this program was made possible by The Marc Haas and Helen Hotze Haas Foundation, 1997.

Details

  • NETWORK: ABC
  • DATE: September 6, 1997 4:00 AM
  • RUNNING TIME: 7:00:00
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: T:50567
  • GENRE: Specials
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Specials; News; Funerals
  • SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1997
  • COMMERCIALS:
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    • TV - Commercials - Buick automobiles
    • TV - Commercials - Cool Mint Listerine Tartar Control toothpaste
    • TV - Commercials - Cortozone 10 medicated cream
    • TV - Commercials - El Dorado automobiles
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    • TV - Commercials - Reese's candies
    • TV - Commercials - Sensodyne toothpaste
    • TV - Commercials - Uncle Ben's rice
    • TV - Commercials - Willow Lake hair products
    • TV - Promos - "ABC News: This Week"
    • TV - Promos - "Good Morning America"

CREDITS

  • Peter Jennings … Anchor
  • Barbara Walters … Anchor
  • Cynthia McFadden … Reporter
  • Aaron Brown … Reporter
  • Sarah Bradford … Reporter
  • Anthony Holden … Reporter
  • Andrew Morton … Reporter
  • George Carey … Speaker
  • Wesley Carry Carr … Speaker
  • Earl Spencer … Speaker
  • Jane Fellowes … Speaker
  • Sarah McCorquodale … Speaker
  • BBC Singers … Choir
  • Lynne Dawson … Singer
  • Mohammed Al-Fayed
  • Patrick Ashdown
  • Richard Attenborough
  • Tony Blair
  • Cherie Blair
  • Bill Clinton
  • Michael Cole
  • Charles, Prince of Wales
  • Diana, Princess of Wales
  • Elton John
  • Henry Kissinger
  • Mountbatten, Philip (Duke of Edinburgh)
  • Luciano Pavarotti
  • Henry, Prince of Wales
  • William, Prince of Wales
  • Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain (See also: Windsor, Elizabeth)
  • Elizabeth, Queen Mother of Great Britain
  • Frances Shand-Kydd
  • Diana Spencer