Di's absence will be felt: Elton

On Friday, the British singer will be back as a guest at the wedding of her elder son Prince William, a happier occasion at which his mother’s absence will nonetheless be keenly felt.

More than one million people lined the route of Diana’s cortege in 1997 to pay their respects to a woman who was a royal outcast by the time of her death aged 36 in a Paris car crash but a hugely popular figure with the public.

For many, the abiding memory of William is still as a 15-year-old boy, head bowed, following his mother’s coffin through the packed streets of London watched by hundreds of millions more people around the world. “The last time we were in Westminster Abbey, my heart sank when I saw those two boys walking behind the coffin,” Elton said, referring to William and his younger brother Harry.

“I can’t imagine at that young age having to walk in public following your mother’s coffin,” he added in an interview with US television host Barbara Walters.

“And the next time we are in the Abbey it’s to see him walking up the aisle with a beautiful woman and the love of his life,” said Elton, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for services to music and charity, adding:  “I think it’s the most joyous result and I’m sure Diana would be very, very happy about it.”

Media executives say the “Diana connection” is one reason why the public appetite for coverage of the wedding, particularly in the US where she had an army of admirers, is so strong.

Royal observers say William has made a point of keeping his mother’s memory alive as Britain gears up for the biggest royal occasion since the Queen Mother's death in 2002.
Last year, William, 28, presented his 29-year-old fiancee with his mother’s dazzling sapphire engagement ring and the couple reportedly visited Diana’s grave at Althorp Estate, home of her family in central England, ahead of the big day.

“I’m sure the royals would like everyone to forget Diana ever existed, but this young man is never going to allow that to happen,” said Joan Lunden, a US TV host who covered Diana’s wedding in 1981 and is part of Fox News’ royal wedding team.  “The only downside (of the wedding) is the sad side,” Lunden said. “That thought of 'Gee, I wish Diana was here.”