Royals Asked to Plan Their Own Funerals

L O N D O N, Dec. 5, 2000 -- Britain’s teenage princes Williamand Harry, along with senior members of the royal family, havebeen asked to plan their own funerals, the Daily Telegraph reported today.

The government had asked members of the royal family,including Queen Elizabeth and heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles,to list their wishes for their funerals in a bid to prevent thearguments that followed the death of Princess Diana in 1997, thenewspaper said.

A spokesman for St James’s Palace, which represents PrinceCharles and his sons William and Harry, was quoted as sayingthat “plans had been made for a number of eventualities.”

The royals were asked to state their wishes for a guest listand the style of music and service they would like in the eventof their death, the newspaper said.

Burial Style

It said the palace gave no indication of the style offunerals the royals would like, but the wishes of the youngprinces were likely to be more contemporary than those of theirolder relatives.

William, 18, and Harry, 16, were given a modern upbringingby their mother Princess Diana and are known to be fans of popgroups such as the Spice Girls, Britney Spears and All Saints.

Diana, former wife of Prince Charles, was killed in a Pariscar crash in 1997.

Her death prompted a huge public outpouring of grief andarguments over the style of funeral she would have wanted.

The Diana Funeral Flap

Media reports suggested the queen had at first insistedDiana be given a private funeral with no official royalinvolvement, only relenting after Prince Charles put upferocious resistance.

Charles and Prime Minister Tony Blair were in agreement thatPrincess Diana should be laid out at St James’s Palace and begiven a public funeral at Westminster Abbey.

Her service was attended by her friends from theentertainment and fashion worlds as well as heads of state andgovernment representatives.

Rock star Elton John sang a special rendition of his hit“Candle in the Wind,” sales of which went on to generatemillions of dollars for charity.