Prince William praises 'perfect' Concert for Diana

Elton John, resplendent in coat and tails,bookended the Concert for Diana in London with stirring performances of Your Song and then at the end of the night, Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) andTiny Dancer.

"What an incredible time," said Prince William, 25, who thanked all the artists and the production team.

"This has been the most perfect way of remembering her."

The concert was organized byPrince William and Prince Harryas a tribute to their mother, the late Princess of Wales,who died 10 years agoin a car accident in Paris.

Near the end of the night, '90s boy band Take That ended its three-song set, sans Robbie Williams, with its 1995 global hit Back for Good.

Looking out of place amid the galaxy of music stars, comedianRicky Gervais from the original Office series sang his Free Love from the Free Love Freeway song, strumming a guitar.

"I love the guitar, it hides your belly," joked the comedian after his performance.

The 46-year-old delighted the crowd after he was told to stretch for another three minutes. The chubby comedian then executed a free dance number that could only be described as utterly his own.

The concert had many spectacular performances, including Tom Jones, 66, who thrilledthe crowd of more than 60,000 with Prince's Kiss and a duet with Joss Stone.

"I'm so pleased the princes invited me to come here for such a wonderful lady," said the dapper Jones, accompanied by Aerosmith lead guitarist Joe Perry.

Rod Stewart was a crowd favourite as he crooned Maggie May, Baby Jane and Sailing.

After Kanye West, backed by female violinists, ran through four songs in rapid succession, P. Diddy re-energized the crowd as the sun went down in London.

The performer entered in dramatic fashion, dry ice swirling around him, intoning "so beautiful, so graceful, so royal" as the enthusiastic crowd clapped its hands. The hip-hop impresario said he was celebrating Diana's "rebirth" and did his version of Every Breath You Take by the Police.

Bryan Ferry cut an elegant figure in a sequined tuxedo jacket as models clad in black outfits strutted to Slave to Love and Let's Stick Together.

'The energy is good here'

Canadian singer Nelly Furtado got the crowd rocking,including princes William and Harry, as she belted out Say it Right in the middle of the event.

Introduced by American Idol 's Simon Cowell as "one of the biggest stars in the world," the 28-year-old performer was glamorousin apink cocktail dress.

The princes sang along as Furtado launched into a funked-up version of her earlier hit, I'm Like A Bird and then Maneater.

Furtado, who said "the energy is good here, it's excellent," revealed the princes had requested she sing those last two songs.

High level of security

Elton John kicked off the concert at the new Wembley Stadium at 4 p.m. local time,introducing the princes.

"This evening is about all that my mother loved: her music, her charities, her dance andher family and friends," said Harry, 22.

William said they wanted people to "have an awesome time," and introduced his mother's favourite band, Duran Duran, which launched into a short medley of hits, including Wild Boys and the 1982 hit single Rio, which front man Simon Le Bon dedicated to Diana.

Royal watchers noted that William's former girlfriend, Kate Middleton, was sitting just two rows behind the prince.The two officially broke up in April but are said to be back together.

Organizers warned ticket holders to arrive early,after the discovery of two unexploded car bombs in central London on Friday and an attack on Glasgow airport in Scotland on Saturday.

British authorities have raised the country's terror alert to the highest level, "critical." At least500 officers were said to be on duty to police the Diana concert.

"I thought it was very brave of them to put this show on," said John Taylor of Duran Duran prior to the concert. "I can only imagine the emotions that there would be putting on this in remembrance."

Stone commandeers stage

After Duran Duran, British singer James Morrison recently crowned Best Male British Artist at the Brit Awards sang moving renditions of You Give Me Something and then Wonderful World.

American hip-hop singer and producer Pharrell Williams urged the audience to "stand up for peace," in reference to the foiled terrorist attacks.

The concert also featured a performance of Swan Lake by the English National Ballet.

British blues singer Joss Stone, personally invited by Prince William, blasted the audience with a searing rendition of You Had Me, a favourite of the prince. The 20-year-old also performed Queen's hit Under Pressure another Diana favourite.

Supertramp took the stage after Stone with a rendition of hits Dreamer, The Logical Song and Breakfast in America. The band had the audience participate in Give a Little Bit.

Estimated TV audience of 500 million

Earlier on, British actress Sienna Miller and U.S. actor Dennis Hopper appeared together and urged the audience to say "hello" to the TV audience of 500 million people in 145 countries.

Hopper reminded the audience that the concert was a party.

Lily Allen, 22, performed joyful versions of her Smile and LDN.She was followed by Fergie andher coterie of dancers in 1960s minidresses and three-piece suits.

Also appearing was Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland, star of the series 24, who got big applause. Sutherland spoke about Diana as "one of the great icons of giving" and then introduced a band that he said would "rock the house" the Feeling.

Other performers to grace the new stage included Status Quo, Orson and Natasha Bedingfield.Andrea Bocelli, Donny Osmond, Sarah Brightman and Josh Grobin were among a series of singers who crooned a string of hits from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom of the Opera and Cats.

Proceeds from the concert will go to causes Diana supported, including land-mine and AIDS charities.

The broadcast was punctuated by vignettes from people who had met Diana, reminiscing about their impressions of her, including former U.S. president Bill Clinton, who recalled Diana as a modest person with great aspirations: "let's keep her legacy alive."

Outgoing British prime minister Tony Blairsaid that "despite being a princess she was also very clearly a human being people loved that."

An exhibit of photographs, film footage and other memorabilia from the life of Diana went on display Saturday at Kensington Palace.

Called Diana: A Princess Remembered, the exhibit is the largest collection of images of the princess to date, organizers said.

It will run to January 2008 at the palace, which was her home in London.