| The funeral service of Diana, Princess of Wales will
reflect the life and times of the Princess, combining
both traditional and modern elements in a service which
will last approximately 45 minutes. Before the
service, the Tenor Bell will toll every minute as the
cortège makes its way from Kensington Palace to the
Abbey. The service is sung by the Choir of Westminster
Abbey, conducted by Martin Neary Organist and Master of
the Choristers.
The organ is played by Martin Baker, Sub-Organist of
Westminster Abbey.
Music before the service, played by Stephen Le
Prevost, Assistant Organist, Westminster Abbey:
Second Movement (Grave) Organ Sonata, No.2 Felix
Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-47)
Prelude on the hymn tune Eventide Hubert Parry
(1848-1918)
Adagio in E Frank Bridge (1879-1941)
Prelude on the hymn tune Rhosymedre Ralph Vaughan
Williams (1872-1958)
Choral Prelude: Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ,
BWV639 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Elegy George Thalben-Ball (189S1988)
Martin Baker plays:
Fantasia in C minor BWV537 Johann Sebastian Bach
Adagio in G minor Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni
(1671-1751)
Slow movement. from the ninth symphony (From the New
World) Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
Canon Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)
Nimrod, Variation 9 arranged from Variations on an
original theme (Enigma) Op.36 Edward Elgar (1857-1934I
Prelude William Harris (1883-1973)
After the cortège has entered the Abbey through the
Great West Door, the congregation will sing the National
Anthem.
God Save our gracious Queen
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen.
Send her victorious
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us
God Save the Queen
The cortège, preceded by the Collegiate Body,
will then move to the Quire and Sacrarium, accompanied by
choral music sung by the Abbey choir.
THE SENTENCES
I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he
that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he
live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall
never die.
{St John 11: 25,26) music by William Croft .
I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall
stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after
my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I
see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall
behold, and not another.
(Job 19: 25-27) music by William Croft
We brought nothing into this world, and it is
certain we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and
the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the
Lord.
(I Timothy 6: 7; Job 1: 21) music by William Croft
Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts;
shut not thy merciful ears unto our prayer; but spare
us, Lord most holy. O God most mighty, O holy and
most merciful Savlour, thou most worthy Judge
eternal. suffer us not, at our last hour, for any
pains of death, to fall from thee. Amen
(Book of Common prayer) music by Henry Purcell
I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me,
Write, from henceforth blessed are the dead which die
in the Lord: even so saith the Spirit: for they rest
from their labours.
Revelation 14:13 music by William Croft
The congregation will
remain standing as the Dean of Westminster, the Very
Reverend Dr Wesley Carr, says The Bidding.
We are gathered here in Westminster Abbey to give
thanks for the life of Diana, Princess of Wales; to
commend her soul to almighty God, and to seek his
comfort for all who mourn. We particularly pray for
God’s restoring peace and loving presence with
her children. the Princes William and Harry, and for
all her family.
In her life. Diana profoundly influenced this
nation and the world. Although a Princess. she was
someone for whom, from afar. we dared to feel
affection. and by whom we were all intrigued. She
kept company with kings and queens, with princes and
presidents, but we specially remember her humane
concerns and how she met individuals and made them
feel significant. In her death she commands the
sympathy of millions.
Whatever our beliefs and faith, let us with
thanksgiving remember her life and enjoyment of it;
let us rededicate to God the work of those many
charities that she supported; let us commit ourselves
anew to caring for others; and let us offer to him
and for his service our own mortality and
vulnerability.
This will be followed by the singing of I vow to
thee, my country, a hymn by Cecil Spring-Rice to
music by Holst.
I vow to thee, my country. all earthly things
above,
entire and whole and perfect. the service of my love:
the love that asks no question, the love that stands
the test,
that lays upon the altar the dearest and the best:
the love that never falters, the love that pays the
price,
the love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
And there’s another country, I’ve heard
of long ago,
most dear to them that love her, most great to them
that know;
we may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is
suffering;
and soul by soul and silently her shining bounds
increase,
and her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths
are peace
The congregation will then sit for the first
Reading, by the Princess's eldest sister, Lady Sarah
McCorquodale:
If I should die and leave you here awhile,
Be not like others, sore undone, who keep
Long vigils by the silent dust, and weep.
For my sake - turn again to life and smile,
Nerving thy heart and trembling hand to do
Something to comfort other hearts than thine.
Complete those dear unfinished tasks of mine
And I, perchance, may therein comfort you.
After the reading, The BBC Singers, together
with the soprano Lynne Dawson, will sing an extract from
Verdi's Requiem.
Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna, in die illa
tremenda quando coeli movendi sunt, et terra: dum
veneris judicare saeculum per ignem.
Tremens factus sum ego et timeo, dum discussio
venerit, atque Ventura ira. Dies illa, dies irae,
calamitatis et miseriae, dies magna
et amara valde. Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
(Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death in that
dread day when the heavens and the earth shall be
shaken, and you will come to judge the world by fire.
I tremble in awe of the judgement and the coming
wrath. Day of wrath, day of calamity and woe, great
and exceeding bitter day. Rest eternal grant unto
them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon
them.)
The congregation will remain seated for the
second Reading, by the Princess's elder sister, Lady Jane
Fellowes:
Time is too slow for those who wait,
too swift for those who fear,
too long for those who grieve,
too short for those who rejoice,
but for those who love, time is eternity.
All then stand to sing the hymn The
King of love my shepherd is
The King of love my Shepherd is,
whose goodness faileth never:
I nothing lack if I am his
and he is mine for ever.
Where streams of living water flow
my ransomed soul he leadeth,
and where the verdant pastures grow
with food celestial feedeth.
Perverse and foolish oh I strayed,
but yet in love he sought me
and on his shoulder gently laid
and home rejoicing brought me.
In deaths dark vale I fear no ill
with thee, dear Lord, beside me;
thy rod and staff my comfort still,
thy cross before to guide me.
Thou spread’st a table in my sight;
thy unction grace bestoweth:
and O what transport of delight
from thy pure chalice floweth!
And so through all the length of days
thy goodness faileth never:
good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
within thy house for ever.
Tune: Dominus regit me J B Dykes {1823 - 76) Descant
Martin Neary
Words: H W Baker (1821- 77) Psalm 23
and will then sit while the Prime Minister, the Right
Honourable Tony Blair, MP, reads from 1 Corinthians 13
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of
angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding
brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the
gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries, and
all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I
could remove mountains, and have not love, I arn
nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the
poor. and though I give my body to be burned. And
have not love, it profiteth me nothing.
Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth
not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth
not behave itself unseemly. seeketh not her own, is
not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not
in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all
things, believeth all things, hopeth all things,
endureth all things.
Love never faileth: but whether there be
prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be
tongues. they shall cease; whether tliere be
knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part.
And we prophesy in part. But when that which is
perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be
done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I
understood as a child, I thought as a child: hut when
I became a man. I put away childish things. For now
we see through a glass darkly but then face to face:
now I know in part; but then shall I know even as
also I am known And now abideth faith, hope, love,
these three; but the greatest of these is love.
After the Prime Minister has finished reading, Elton
John will sing a special arrangement of his song Candle
In The Wind:
Goodbye England's rose;
may you ever grow in our hearts.
You were the grace that placed itself
where lives were torn apart.
You called out to our country,
and you whispered to those in pain.
Now you belong to heaven,
and the stars spell out your name.
And it seems to me you lived your life
like a candle in the wind:
never fading with the sunset
when the rain set in.
And your footsteps will always fall here,
along England's greenest hills;
your candle's burned out long before
your legend ever will.
Loveliness we've lost;
these empty days without your smile.
This torch we'll always carry
for our nation's golden child.
And even though we try,
the truth brings us to tears;
all our words cannot express
the joy you brought us through the years.
Goodbye England's rose,
from a country lost without your soul,
who'll miss the wings of your compassion
more than you'll ever know.
The congregation remain seated for The Tribute by the
Princess's brother, The Earl Spencer.
They then stand to sing the hymn Make me a
channel of your peace by St Francis of Assisi.
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love;
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord;
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.
Oh, master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved, as to love with all my soul.
Make me a Channel of your peace.
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope;
Where there is darkness, only light;
And where there’s sadness, ever joy
Oh, master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved, as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving to all men that we receive;
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.
The congregation then sits and are led in prayers by
the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend and Right
Honourable Dr George Carey, beginning with the following
prayer for Diana, Princess of Wales:
We give thanks to God for Diana, Princess of
Wales; for her sense of joy and for the way she gave
so much to so many people.
Lord, we thank you for Diana, whose life touched
us all and for all those memories of her that we
treasure. We give thanks for those qualities and
strengths that endeared her to us; for her
vulnerability; for her radiant and vibrant
personality; for her ability to communicate warmth
and compassion; for her ringing laugh; and above all
for her readiness to identify with those less
fortunate in our nation and the world.
Lord of the loving: hear our prayer.
There then follow prayers for the Princess's family;
for the Royal family, for all who mourn and for the
Princess's life and work:
The Princess will be especially missed by the many
charities with which she identifed herself. We recall
those precious images: the affectionate cuddle of
children in hospital; that touch of the young man
dying of AIDS; her compassion for those maimed
through the evil of land mines - and many more.
Lord, we pray for all who are weak, poor and
powerless in this country and throughout the world;
the sick, among them Trevor Rees-Jones; the maimed
and all whose lives are damaged. We thank you for the
way that Diana became a beacon of hope and a source
of strength for so many. We commend to you all those
charities that she supported. Strengthen the resolve
of those who work for them to continue the good work
begun with her.
Lord of the suffering: hear our prayer.
The prayers will conclude with the offering of a
prayer for the congregation, after which the choristers
will sing:
I would be true, for there are those that trust
me.
I would be pure for there are those that care.
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer.
I would be brave, for there is much to dare.
I would be friend of all, the foe, the friendless.
I would be giving, and forget the gift.
I would be humble, for I know my weakness,
I would look up, laugh. love and live.
Air from County Derry in G - Petrie; The Ancient
Music of Ireland (1853), commonly known as 'O Danny Boy'
The Archbishop continues:
Therefore. confident in the love and mercy of God,
holding a living faith in Gods mighty resurrection
power, we, the congregation here, those in the
streets
outside and the millions around the world, join
one another and the hosts of heaven, as we say
together, in whatever language we may choose. the
prayer which Jesus taught us:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy
Name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as
it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those
who trespass against us. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the
glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Archbishop says:
The God of peace who brought again from the dead
our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep,
make you perfect in every good work to do his will:
and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with you and all whom
you love, this day and for evermore. AMEN.
The congregation will then stand to sing the great
Welsh hymn Guide me, O thou great Redeemer.
Guide me, O thou great Redeemer, pilgrim through
this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty:
hold me with thy powerful hand:
bread of heaven feed me now and evermore.
Open now the crystal fountain whence the healing
stream doth flow
let the fiery cloudy pillar lead me all my journey
through:
strong deliverer, be thou still my strength and
shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan bid my anxious fears
subside:
death of death. and hell's destruction land me safe
on Cannaan's side:
songs and praises I will ever give to thee.
Following the hymn, the Dean of Westminster will say
The Commendation:
Let us commend our sister Diana to the mercy of
God, our Maker and Redeemer.
Diana, our companion in faith and sister in
Christ, we entrust you to God. Go forth from this
world in the love of the Father, who created you; In
the mercy of Jesus Christ, who died for you; In the
power of the Holy Spirit, who strengthens you. At one
with all the faithful, living and departed, may you
rest in peace and rise in glory, where grief and
misery are banished and light and joy evermore abide.
Amen.
 The congregation will
remain standing as the cortège leaves the Abbey, as
the choir sings extracts from Shakespeare's Hamlet
and the Orthodox Funeral Service, set to music by
John Taverner:
Alleluia. May flights of angels sing thee to thy
rest.
Remember me O Lord, when you come into your kingdom.
Give rest O Lord to your handmaid, who has fallen
asleep.
The choir of saints have found the well-spring of
life, and door of paradise.
Life: a shadow and a dream.
Weeping at the grave creates the song:
Alleluia. Come, enjoy rewards and crowns I have
prepared for you.
ONE MINUTE SILENCE
At the west end of the Abbey the cortège will
halt for a one minute silence, observed by the
nation.
 The
cortège will then leave the Abbey for the journey to
Althorp, as the half-muffled bells of the Abbey ring.
Music after the service:
Prelude in C minor BWV 546 J.S.Bach
Maestoso, from Symphonie no. 3 by Camille
Saint-Saëns
Eulogies to
Princess Diana
Prince Harry's eulogy for Princess
Diana delivered on 8/31/07
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