Princes and Palace clash over 'all-night' Diana party

Plans for the memorial concert for Diana Princess of Wales have hit a hitch over an exclusive all-night party that Princes William and Harry intend to host after the main event.

Tempers are becoming frayed in the Royal Household over the exclusive VIP bash that is scheduled to start when the final curtain falls on the Wembley concert on July 1.

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William and Harry, who came up with the idea for the concert, hope headliners including Sir Elton John, Rod Stewart and Lily Allen will attend the party.

But senior aides feel that the all-night bash is not a fitting tribute to the late Princess.

The party, which has been kept a secret until now, is being overseen by Prince Harry's mentor and former Welsh Guards officer Mark Dyer.

Johnny Roxburgh, owner of The Admirable Crichton catering and events company, and Michael Fawcett, the Prince of Wales's former valet, have also been brought in by Clarence House to help organise it.

Dyer and Roxburgh often work together, but they were pointedly banned by the Queen from organising Charles and Camilla's wedding reception two years ago.

Says my Royal spy: 'Mark Dyer is up to his neck with plans for the party at the moment, along with Michael Fawcett and Johnny Roxburgh. Some of the senior courtiers, however, think it is entirely inappropriate.

'There is a genuine fear that the Princes could be photographed falling out of the party in the early hours. It is not seen as a fitting memorial.'

There is also concern that there are not enough sponsors involved. My source says: 'The Palace want the event to be entirely self-funded, but Pepsi, Moet and Budweiser have all turned it down for sponsorship because they feel they won't get enough branding.'

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