Plea for Elton John to play at Princess Diana funeral revealed in U.K. government files

The Dean of Westminster personally appealed to Buckingham Palace to allow British star Elton John to sing a version of his hit song 'Candle In The Wind' at the funeral of Princess Diana, according to newly released government files.

Papers released by the U.K. National Archives suggest there was resistance to the plan over concerns the rewritten lyrics were "too sentimental," reported PA Media.

The Abbey even arranged for a saxophonist to be put on standby to deliver a solo instrumental version of the song, but this was considered to be a "very second best shot."

The Dean, the Very Reverend Wesley Carr, successfully argued that allowing John to appear would be an "imaginative and generous" gesture to the public.

Diana died in a car crash on August 31, 1997 in Paris, prompting a huge outpouring of public grief.