LONDON (AP) - The latest on the 20th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana (all times local):
3:30 p.m.
Elton John has offered a tribute to the late Princess Diana on the 20th anniversary of her death.
The 70-year-old singer posted an image on social media showing his hand on her shoulder, and wrote: “20 years ago today, the world lost an angel. #RIP.”
The pop icon memorably performed his moving song “Candle In The Wind” at Diana’s funeral, a moment in the service many remember for its evocative power. He originally wrote the song in honor of Marilyn Monroe, but reworked it for his friend Diana.
Diana died along with her friend Dodi Fayed and their driver when their Mercedes crashed inside a Paris tunnel as paparazzi pursued them on Aug. 31, 1997.
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9:30 a.m.
Mourners have paid tribute to Princess Diana near the spot in Paris where a deadly car accident killed her 20 years ago, placing flowers, photos and written notes in memory of the beloved British royal.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo arrived around 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) with a large bouquet which she placed at the Flame of Liberty, a golden memorial above the Alma Tunnel, where the crash took place. The golden flame has become an unofficial memorial to Diana.
A French woman paying tribute, Yvette Demilio, remembered Diana as “a modern mother with a strong character and a strong heart. She was also a fashion icon and, it is true, I loved her a lot.”
An Australian woman cried at the site without speaking.
Linda Grant, from Britain, said that “it’s like it was yesterday still, which means she is still here in our hearts. She has never gone away and she never will. She never will.”
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9 a.m.
People placed floral tributes, photos and personal messages at the gates of Kensington Palace on Thursday as Britain observed the 20th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana.
Royal fans marked two decades since Diana died in a car crash in Paris, triggering a flood of grief across Britain and beyond. Her admirers began paying tribute to Diana at the time she died before dawn, placing candles shaped in the letter “D’’ at the gates of the London palace that had been her home.
The 36-year-old princess died in the early hours of Aug. 31, 1997. Her Mercedes, pursued by paparazzi, crashed into a concrete pillar in the Alma Tunnel in Paris while traveling at more than 60 mph (100 kph).
Diana, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and their driver Henri Paul were all killed. Her bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, was injured but survived.
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