The Dean of Westminster had to send a personal appeal to Buckingham Palace in 1997 to allow Elton John to perform his hit song "Candle In the Wind" at Princess Diana's funeral, newly released government files have shown.
John delivered a moving performance of the song at the service but it has now emerged that there was some resistance from the royal household to the initial idea, according to CNN.
Papers released by the National Archives show that there were concerns that the rewritten lyrics were "too sentimental," the outlet noted. Westminster Abbey placed a solo saxophonist on standby to perform the song in the event that John was not permitted to perform but it was considered to be a "very second best shot."
In the end, the Dean, the Very Reverend Wesley Carr, was able to successfully argue that John's appearance would be an "imaginative and generous" gesture to the public.
"This is a crucial point in the service and we would urge boldness. It is where the unexpected happens and something of the modern world that the princess represented," Carr wrote in a note to a senior member of the royal household, Lt. Col. Malcolm Ross, according to Sky News. "I respectfully suggest that anything classical or choral (even a popular classic such as something by Lloyd Webber) is inappropriate."
"Candle In The Wind" was originally written in memory of Marilyn Monroe but was later played as a memorial to Diana, who had been friends with John.
"He has written new words to the tune, which is being widely played and sung throughout the nation in memorial to Diana. It is all the time on the radio," Carr continued in his note. "Its use here would be imaginative and generous to the millions who are feeling personally bereaved: it is popular culture at its best.
"If it were thought the words too sentimental (although that is by no means a bad thing given the national mood), they need not be printed — only sung. I would be prepared to discuss the significance of this suggestion over the phone with anyone."
According to the National Archives, there is no record of a reply.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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